Hardik Pandya could target IPL 2027 return after shin stress injury, report says
Hardik Pandya has been given a fresh medical timeline while recovering from a stress injury at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, with a Dainik Jagran report on October 21, 2026 stating he could return to competitive cricket during IPL 2027. The all-rounder remains sidelined as he undergoes rehabilitation.
India face a packed schedule that begins with a tour of New Zealand featuring five T20Is, five ODIs and two Test matches, followed by white-ball series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and the team management will need to adjust plans and give other players opportunities while key players are absent. Pandya last represented Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 in May and last played for India in the T20 World Cup 2026 final in March, underscoring his recent involvement in both franchise and international cricket.
The report says Pandya is recovering from a stress injury on the inner side of his shin and could start jogging after three weeks; his running workload would then be increased slowly over the next eight weeks. After those steps, he will require additional time to regain full fitness, and the medical team has not provided a firm return date.
Because of the injury timeline, Pandya has been ruled out of India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand, is unlikely to be fit for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka which starts on December 13, and could miss the series against Zimbabwe beginning on January 3. The update also indicates he is likely to miss Baroda’s campaigns in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Pandya is noted in the report as an all-rounder who can contribute with both bat and ball, and his fitness is flagged as important as India prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup. That dual role underlies why his availability is a selection and planning consideration for the national side.
While IPL 2027 is identified in the Dainik Jagran report as the tournament in which he could return, the comeback date remains unconfirmed and will depend on him regaining full fitness after rehabilitation. For now, Pandya’s programme at the CoE will focus on recovery and a graded increase in workload.
India’s immediate fixtures include the New Zealand tour of five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, with the Sri Lanka white-ball series starting on December 13 and the Zimbabwe series beginning on January 3; per the report, the earliest likely window for Pandya to return to competitive action is IPL 2027.