Hardik Pandya Set for BCCI Centre of Excellence Stint Ahead of Afghanistan ODIs; Rohit Sharma’s Fitness Reporting Uncertain

Pandya, aged 32, last featured in the format during the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March 2025. He was included in the ODI squad announced on May 19, but his participation remains subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team.

Sources indicate that the BCCI medical unit had instructed both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya to report to the Centre of Excellence; however, there is no clarity regarding Rohit Sharma’s compliance at this stage. Pandya, meanwhile, is expected to undergo structured fitness drills and match simulation sessions over the coming week as part of his preparation protocol.

The Indian team’s preparations will also extend to Mullanpur from June 6, where training schedules have been finalized. The team will train in the afternoon session from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, while Afghanistan will conduct their practice in the morning slot from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

In support of the Indian setup during the preparatory phase, Gurjapneet Singh, Auqib Nabi, Prince Yadav, Saransh Jain, Zeeshan Ansari, and Shivang Kumar have been included as net bowlers to assist the squad ahead of the Test preparations.

India’s Test squad features Shubman Gill as captain, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul as vice-captain, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper).

India’s ODI squad comprises Shubman Gill as captain, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey.

The structured training schedules, combined with ongoing fitness evaluations and squad rotations, underline India’s intensified preparations ahead of the upcoming international fixtures, with particular focus on player workload management and availability.