Shoulder injury threatens Yakin Ahmed's chances of playing for the Springboks

With the upcoming five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand starting on November 4th, the absence of an all-round player like Hardik Pandya is a serious blow to the Indian team preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Hardik last participated in competitions during IPL 2026 in May. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Subhman Gill emphasized Hardik's exceptional value, noting that few players in the world possess similar skills. He is capable of bowling with both new and old balls, and his role in the Indian ODI squad at seventh or eighth place involves actively scoring runs in the final overs.

Gill stated that Hardik Pandya is an outstanding all-rounder, and his unique skills are extremely rare. As a bowler, he can be utilized at different stages of the game. He knows how to work with both new and old types of balls. Gill mentioned that they have spoken several times and noted that Hardik has faced setbacks due to injuries. He has not played cricket since the conclusion of the IPL. He expressed hope for a speedy return, suggesting that he might first play in some domestic matches before rejoining the Indian national team.

Hardik's fitness issues began during IPL 2026. Due to back spasms, he had to miss three Mumbai Indians matches. Although he managed to return to the tournament in its latter stages, he remained out of action after his last competitive match on May 24th.

In June, during rehabilitation, he suffered a quadriceps strain, which forced him to miss the ODI series against Afghanistan. Due to his inability to fully regain physical condition, he also could not participate in the ODI series against England. Prior to the T20 series against Afghanistan, he started experiencing knee pain during field practice training.

In September, he was included in the India A squad for the ODI series against Australia, subject to medical clearance. It was expected that he would return in October, but scans revealed a right shin injury. Doctors advised him complete rest for two weeks, leading to his exclusion from the Australia A series as well.

Because of this latest injury, Hardik could not participate in the entire Indian white-ball series against New Zealand, which comprises five T20 and five ODI matches. It is now critically important for him to regain his form and prove it in domestic matches.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy are scheduled for November and December. These tournaments could offer Hardik an opportunity to return to competitive cricket through one of them, although his participation will depend on his physical condition.

The ODI series between India and New Zealand will run from November 4th to November 15th. Following this, a two-match Test series will take place between the teams, starting on November 19th. Due to continuous matches across three formats, neither team will have much time for recovery.

All five matches of the series will be played in day-night format. In Indian time, all games will start at 7:30 AM. In New Zealand, matches begin at 3 PM, and in the UK, at 2 AM.

New Zealand ODI Squad:

• First three ODIs: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bresshaw, Devon Conway, Jacob Df, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Timifert (wicketkeeper), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Will Young, Blair Tickner, and Henry Nicholls.
• Last two ODIs: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bresshaw, Christian Clark, Jacob Df, Matt Fisher, Loki Ferguson, Mitch Che (wicketkeeper), Nick Kelly, Timifert (wicketkeeper), Blair Tickner, Will Young, and Dan Foxcroft.

Updated India ODI Squad:

• First three ODIs: Subhman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dihr, Anshul Kamboj, Guruveer Barar, Rituraj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy (only first ODI).
• Fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Verma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper and vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dihr, Akib Nabi, Guruveer Barar, Rituraj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Indian batter and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan will not participate in the third T20 match of the series against New Zealand. Earlier, during the first match, he sustained a minor strain to the inner thigh muscle of his right leg.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday that Ishan's recovery is progressing well, but he is not yet ready to play in matches. The official BCCI statement says that Ishan Kishan is successfully recovering from a strain of the small right gluteal muscle sustained in the first T20 match against New Zealand. He still needs to reach full fitness and is now excluded from participating in the third T20 match, scheduled for October 27, 2026, in Wellington. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring Ishan's recovery process, and Kumar Kushagra will remain in the squad for the third T20.

Due to Ishan Kishan's injury, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was included in the starting eleven for the second T20 match. However, Vaibhav could not perform outstandingly in that match: he came to bat at the third position and returned to the bench, scoring only 4 runs.

The third match of the five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand is scheduled for Tuesday (October 27) at Henry Stadium in Wellington. In this five-match series, India leads 2-0 and aims to secure the third victory to win the entire series.

India's squad for the third T20 includes Sandeep Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Naman Diara, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Minka Yadav, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper).