Hardik Pandya injured again during training at CoE, casting doubt on his return to the Indian squad

The Indian team's performance under Shreyas Iyer during tours in Ireland and England has not shown significant results. During the visit to Ireland, the team suffered a humiliating 0-2 defeat. Furthermore, in a T20 series in England, India was defeated 0-4. During the European tour, the Indian team's spinners also failed to perform effectively, which was one of the main reasons for the losses.

The poor performance of the spinners forced the selection committee to look for new options. Consequently, Kunal Pandya's name emerged in discussions, who is being considered as a potential all-round spinner candidate. According to The Times of India, the 35-year-old Kunal became a subject of discussion among the selection committee members. He last played for India in an international T20 in July 2021 against Sri Lanka. Although he did not return to the national team after that, he consistently demonstrated his usefulness in domestic cricket and the IPL (Indian Premier League).

In recent international T20 matches, India has not demonstrated the effectiveness in spin bowling that the team expected. Axar Patel, whose game was mediocre, showed particularly outstanding results. In the last six international T20 matches against Ireland and England, Axar took only four wickets. Nevertheless, since the conditions in these two countries were not very favorable for spinners, his game cannot be judged solely by statistics. Despite this, the team management wishes to have reliable alternatives before major matches.

Kunal Pandya demonstrated impressive play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026. Throughout the season, he scored 226 runs and took 14 wickets. His batting average was 145.81, and he showed effectiveness with the ball. His ability to stop runs in the middle overs and break partnerships could prove useful for the team in T20 cricket.

Kunal Pandya's international experience also speaks in his favor. He has already played 19 international T20 matches for India, scoring 124 runs and taking 15 wickets. Thus, his possible return is not a gamble on an unknown player. The selection committee has the opportunity to decide whether to give him another chance, considering his current form and experience.

The discussion about Kunal Pandya's name does not mean that a decision has been made to exclude Axar Patel from the team. Axar's batting and fielding still make him an important part of the team. On the other hand, Kunal's return could provide the team with an additional option for squad changes depending on circumstances.

Even without fully recovering from the fatigue following the trip to Sri Lanka, players of the Indian team had to prepare for the next stage. Within 48 hours of completing the two-match series of tests, many athletes included in the central contract list arrived at the Cricket Council of India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore to undergo mandatory fitness testing before the start of the new season.

The upcoming cricket season for the Indian national team promises to be very demanding. Players will have to maintain a high level of physical fitness over a long period, considering commitments in domestic cricket, international matches, and various formats. Therefore, the preliminary fitness assessment is considered extremely important.

Players such as Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who participated in the trip to Sri Lanka, arrived at the CoE. Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the T20 team, was also present. Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, and Rituraj Gaikwad also took part in the matches.

The player check was aimed not only at assessing overall physical condition but also at determining how long they could cope with high speed and constant loads under match conditions.

A special part of the test was the 'Bronco Test,' during which players must perform continuous shuttle runs over distances of 0, 20, 40, and 60 meters. A total distance of 1200 meters is covered across five sets, which must be completed in less than 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Additionally, players have to run 2 kilometers in under 10 minutes.

In the traditional Yo-Yo test, the established standard was 16.5. Furthermore, the players' ability to demonstrate physical qualities under real match pressure through quick sprints between wickets, speed, agility, and high-intensity exercises was tested.

Some major players did not pass the initial fitness test. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently undergoing rehabilitation. The process of assessing their physical condition will only begin after receiving clearance from the medical team. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna received temporary exemptions due to their recent workload in the series of tests against Sri Lanka.

There is good news for prime bowler Prince Yadav, who suffered a hamstring issue during the visit to England. He has recovered from the injury and is now available for selection after receiving medical clearance. His physical condition is also important for the team, as significant pressure is expected on the fast bowling department in the upcoming long season.

During the fourth day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka, held at the International Stadium in Galle, the hosts suffered a serious blow: experienced batsman Dinesh Chandimal became a victim of a tragic incident on the field.

While attempting to defend the boundary, Chandimal made a full dive but fell onto the ground in an extremely awkward position. He sustained an injury to his right shoulder and neck, after which he was removed from the field and sent to a local hospital for examination.

This incident occurred at the end of the fourth over-attack of India's second innings. At that time, the Sri Lankan players were trying to put pressure on the Indian batsmen and slow down the pace of the game. A fast shot hit by KL Rahul towards deep mid-wicket was traveling rapidly. The 36-year-old Chandimal, who was fielding near deep square leg, exerted all his strength to prevent the ball from going out of bounds.

Chandimal quickly ran and stopped the ball, making a full dive near the boundary cushion. Thanks to this effort, Sri Lanka managed to save two crucial runs. However, after stopping the ball, its speed did not decrease. His body lost control and rolled onto the ground, resulting in a severe impact to the upper body.

Immediately after falling, Chandimal appeared in pain. He lay on the ground for a long time, holding his head, neck, and right shoulder with his hands. Sri Lankan medical staff present on the field, as well as the team of physiotherapists, immediately provided him with assistance. After an examination on the field, Chandimal slowly got up and left the field, leaning on his arm.

Pasindu Suriybandara replaced him as a fielder. Later, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) provided information about Chandimal's injury. According to the council's report, he was examined by a physiotherapist and the team doctor, after which he was taken to the hospital for precautionary scanning.

The injury came to Chandimal at a difficult moment for Sri Lanka. He was withdrawn from the game in the first innings, having scored only 4 runs. Now the team needs to score 372 runs to win the match. Chandimal's presence in the middle order could have been very important for Sri Lanka. His experience, ability to steer an innings in difficult situations, and calm demeanor on the field could have helped the team.

Questions arising about his availability due to the injury pose an additional problem for the host team. Chandimal, a 36-year-old player, is among Sri Lanka's experienced athletes, and his experience is vital for the team during the current ICC World Test Championship cycle.