Hardik Pandya All Set for Long-Awaited Comeback After Injury Layoff

India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to make his long-awaited return to cricket after being out for several months due to a serious injury. He had suffered a quadriceps tear during the Asia Cup 2025, which ruled him out of the Asia Cup final against arch-rivals Pakistan and India’s white-ball tour of Australia.

Now, there’s good news for Indian fans, and it's about Hardik Pandya injury update. He is in the final phase of his recovery and is likely to make a comeback sooner than expected.

As per The Times of India, Hardik will return to action by playing for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s top domestic T20 tournament.

This comeback will be an important step for Pandya as he works on regaining full fitness and form ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, where India will look to defend their title.

Hardik Pandya Comeback: Set to Play in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

This all-rounder is set to feature in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which is one of India’s premier domestic T20 tournaments. Hardik will return to the field with Baroda in this tournament.

He is most likely to play the first two matches of the tournament, in which his team will go up against Bengal on November 26 in the 1st match and against Puducherry on November 28.
Hardik's featuring in this tournament is very important as he will be able to have some match time before facing the South African side in the upcoming One-Day International series. He will try to get into the rhythm, as he might feel rusty initially after coming from a long break.

Once he is done with these 2 matches, he is expected to be part of the Indian ODI team for the ODI series against the Proteas commencing from 30th November to 6th December.

Hardik Pandya Recent Performances

Before his injury layoff, Hardik Pandya was in impressive form, proving once again why he’s one of the best all-rounders in the world. From leading from the front while bowling and finishing down the order in the Asia Cup 2025, Pandya played a key role in India’s T20 and ODI campaigns in recent times.

As a finisher, he provided stability in the middle order, often guiding India to strong totals with his power hitting and calculated risk. His strike rate remained above 140 in T20Is, and he picks crucial wickets during the death overs as well. Also, let's not forget about his fielding skills; he is among the best fielders in the world, who can field at any position on the ground, either inside the circle or on the boundary lines.
In the IPL 2025 season, Pandya also showcased his leadership skills and all-round consistency, contributing valuable runs and maintaining an economy rate under 8. His recent performances made him a vital part of India’s T20 World Cup plans.

Unfortunately, a quadriceps tear during the Asia Cup forced him to miss some matches, and the Indian team missed him in the team as he provides the perfect balance to the team.

With his return through the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, fans will be eager to see him regain the same rhythm and impact that made him one of India’s finest modern-day all-rounders.