Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup final came as no shock. After all, he has probably missed more matches due to injuries than any other top player in recent years.
Timeline of Hardik's injuries
Let’s rewind to 2018 – India’s tour of England. Hardik was shaping up to be a promising Test all-rounder, but suddenly his career in whites was cut short. He suffered a stress fracture in his back, and since September that year, he hasn’t played a single Test.
The injury got worse during the 2018 Asia Cup. Nobody can forget those visuals of Hardik being stretchered off the field. It was eventually concluded that he would need surgery.
But instead, he chose rehab and made his comeback in IPL 2019. What he didn’t know then was that this was only the beginning of a long struggle. Later that same year, during a T20I series against South Africa, he complained of persistent back pain, and in October, he had to undergo major back surgery.
International Cricket Missed
After that, Hardik missed a lot of international cricket. From the end of the 2019 World Cup to the start of the 2023 World Cup, India played 66 ODIs. Hardik featured in only 28 of them — just 42.4%.It wasn’t much better in T20Is either. Since 2019, India has played 144 T20Is, but Hardik could only manage 85 appearances in that period.
And of course, everyone remembers the 2023 ODI World Cup. Hardik was, as always, vital for India’s balance, but he twisted his ankle while trying to stop the ball in his follow-through against Bangladesh. That injury ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. He was also sidelined from the T20I series against Australia, the South Africa tour, and the home T20Is against Afghanistan.
What's next for Hardik?
Now, after being ruled out of the 2025 Asia Cup final, Hardik is all but ruled out of the upcoming Australia tour as well. According to reports, Pandya suffered a left quadriceps injury and has been advised at least four weeks of rest. That means his reunion with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be delayed as the 3-match ODI series starts from October 19.This will be followed by 5 T20Is starting on October 29 and Hardik might end up playing a couple of games during that series, provided he regains full fitness. But the bigger question is — while injuries already ended his Test career, is his white-ball career also at risk now?
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