Reports: Hardik Pandya ruled out of England tour, Virat Kohli asked to get fitness clearance

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has reportedly been ruled out for India's upcoming white-ball tour of England in July 2026. Meanwhile, superstar batter Virat Kohli will have to obtain a fitness clearance from the BCCI before taking part in the three ODIs scheduled as part of the series. Both have missed the ongoing Afghanistan ODI series due to respective injuries.

Hardik has yet to recover from the quadricep injury that he went through while recuperating from the back spasm. On the other hand, Kohli is also undergoing a recovery from his hamstring injury that occurred during the IPL 2026 final, where the batter scored an unbeaten 75 for RCB to lift the second title for the franchise.

According to India Today, Hardik will not be able to participate in the England series since the fresh injury, which was earlier expected to get better in three weeks' time, will now require further time to recover from. Kohli, on the other hand, will have to prove his fitness before getting a return-to-play nod from the management, according to another report by Jagran.

With the duo's absence from the ongoing home series against Afghanistan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana were added to the squad. While Jaiswal failed to impress, Rana did not make an appearance in the series, as the management chose not to rush back the pacer into action right away, having recovered from a knee injury.

Speaking of Virat, it is not sure whether the seasoned cricketer will be asked to check in to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to obtain his fitness clearance, but the BCCI will certainly be keeping a track of his development ahead of the all-important series, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon. If a Bengaluru visit is indeed not required, Virat may link up with the rest of the squad directly in the United Kingdom.