Hardik Pandya has been included in the India A squad that is set to play three one-day games against Australia A in Puducherry from October 6 to 11, subject to fitness clearance. The allrounder was last in action during IPL 2026, and has spent much of the intervening time undergoing rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Hardik had missed part of Mumbai Indians’ IPL campaign with back spasms, and suffered a leg strain while training at the CoE in the lead-up to the ODI series against Afghanistan in June, forcing him to miss it. Hardik hasn’t played ODIs since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025, having rested from the format in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. He has been back in India’s 50-overs plans since the end of that tournament, with an ODI World Cup coming up in October-November 2027, but fitness issues have kept him out of action.
India will hope Hardik clears his fitness assessment ahead of the Australia A series, and begins the process of slotting back into 50-overs rhythm. He is seen as a key player in India’s World Cup plans, as their most accomplished seam-bowling allrounder, particularly in Southern African conditions.
The series against Australia A, which will be played entirely in Puducherry, will begin with two four-day unofficial Tests, from September 22 to 25 and from September 29 to October 2. This will be followed by three one-day games on October 6, 9 and 11.
Devdutt Padikkal will captain India A in the four-day games with B Sai Sudharsan, from whom he recently took over the No. 3 slot in Test cricket, as his deputy. With the four-day games clashing with the Irani Cup, which is scheduled to be played from October 1 to 5, and the Asian Games T20 tournament, which runs from September 24 to October 3, the squad is missing a number of prominent names. Seam bowler Anshul Kamboj, offspinner Tanush Kotian and wicketkeeper N Jagadeesan are the only other members of the 15 to have been part of recent India squads.
Reddy, Washington cleared for Afghanistan ODIs
Cricinfo understands that allrounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, who have both recently been out of action due to injuries have received their clearances from the BCCI medical staff to return to action. Reddy missed the recent white-ball tours of Ireland and England with a quadriceps injury, while Washington missed the recent two-Test series in Sri Lanka with a hamstring issue.
Both were picked for the T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on September 13, subject to fitness clearance. The status of fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, who were also picked pending fitness clearance, is not yet known.
India A squads for series against Australia A
Four-day squad: Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal (capt), Sai Sudharsan (vice-capt), Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Praful Hinge, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nachiket Bhute, V Vyshak (subject to fitness clearance).
One-Day squad: Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal (vice-capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya (subject to fitness clearance), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur.
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