Hardik Pandya ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand

Team India is currently involved in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and then are scheduled to play the ODIs and Tests on the tour as well. While the squad for the 50-over contests is already announced, the selectors are soon expected to name the team for the tussle in the longest format as well. However, ahead of the squad announcement, the all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the two-match Test series which is a huge blow for the team.

Hardik has been nursing the back injury for long now and hasn’t played any competitive cricket since September 2019. He underwent a surgery in London in October last year to treat a chronic problem and was expected to be fit in time for the entire New Zealand tour. The 26-year-old was also picked in India A side only to be ruled out of the tour at the eleventh hour after he failed the fitness test.

Hardik Pandya will now continue his rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru until he regains full match fitness according to Cricbuzz.

What next for Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Pandya had undergone a surgery in October keeping an eye on the upcoming tours and events. He wanted to play a few international games, IPL to get ready for the T20 World Cup to be played later this year. Moreover, he was targetting the New Zealand series to make a comeback. But now it seems he will need more time to recover even as the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly recently confirmed that the all-rounder is not fit to play even domestic cricket.

“We decided to do the surgery now because we saw the future and thought this is the right time. We thought this was the right time because even if I take four months, I will be coming back before the New Zealand series, mid-way actually. That was the plan that I play some international games, the IPL and then the World T20.

The biggest concern was the World T20 which touch wood is now in place. I could have done the surgery a month later, but it would not have helped me in any way. I was feeling the difference in my back and wasn’t able to take it,” Hardik had said back in December.