Hardik Pandya to Make His Long-Awaited Return on This Day

Hardik Pandya, who has been out of action for months, will now finally make his awaited return. After missing out on the India tour of Australia, Pandya is confirmed to return to competitive cricket. But the question is, whether he will be able to play the series against South Africa or not?

Hardik Pandya, the finest Indian all-rounder, is all set to make his return to competitive cricket. He got himself injured during the Asia Cup and even missed out on the important games. Despite being a part of the squad, Pandya was ruled out of the much anticipated final

Eventually, he also missed out on the India tour of Australia. But it has been confirmed that he will mark his return in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Baroda, Pandya is all set to mark his comeback to competitive cricket, and eventually make it back to the Indian cricket team.

1. Hardik Pandya’s Injury

Hardik Pandya suffered an injury in the Asia Cup 2025, when India went against Sri Lanka. Continuing its unbeaten record in the tournament, India went on to secure a win. But in the same match, the team also suffered a setback, as Hardik Pandya got a quadriceps tear.

This eventually led to Hardik Pandya being sidelined from action for the next few games. Upon the scans, it was indicated that the tear in the quadriceps has been partial, and no surgery is required for Hardik Pandya

But for the all-rounder to be recovered, the BCCI had sent him to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. While the Indian team played in Australia, Pandya spent his time working on his much awaited comeback. Now with his rehabilitation almost completed, the potential dates for his comeback have also been revealed.

2. Hardik Pandya's Return

It has been reported that Hardik Pandya will be making his return to domestic cricket first. This comes as a significant move, noting that India has a long schedule till the T20 World Cup 2026. Pandya will be a of Baroda’s team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025.

Fans will be able to watch him play for Baroda in its opening clash against Bengal. This match will be taking place on 26 November at 4:30 PM IST, as Hardik Pandya's presence is likely to help Baroda to a great extent. Since he would also have to leave for the India vs South Africa series, gaining his form via domestics is a great option.

3. Will Pandya Feature for the South Africa Series?

The major question among all the fans is whether they will be able to watch Hardik Pandya in the series against South Africa. Currently, the South Africa tour of India is all set to commence from 14 November, with the two Tests. Following the Test series, the Indian team will be going South Africa for three ODIs and five T20Is.

The limited overs series will start from 30 November, with the ODI matches set to take place first. And it should be noted that Hardik Pandya will be playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy from 26 November. This shows that Hardik Pandya is preparing for his international comeback, which is likely to take place in the series against South Africa.

4. What Happened when Hardik Last Played in SMAT?

This is not for the first time Hardik Pandya will be making his return to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was also a part of Baroda's team in the previous edition, but played just a few games for them. At that time also, Pandya was preparing himself for the upcoming games for the Indian team, due to which he to play even in domestics.

He played just four games for Baroda in the entire tournament but made sure to make them count. In these four games, Hardik Pandya was able to score 246 runs for the team at an average of 49.20, and a strike rate close to 200. With his aggressive batting style, he was able to showcase that he is fully prepared for the upcoming games the Indian team has.

Baroda was able to finish at the top of the table in the Group stages, having Hardik Pandya also play a few games for them. He also smashed two half-centuries for the team, demonstrating his aggressive playing style. But, he was not able to give his best to the team during the semi-final clash Mumbai.

He was not able to do much with the ball, but acted as a primary bowling option for the team. With Hardik Pandya giving such strong performances for Baroda in the previous season, fans wait to see what he has in store for the next edition.