Hardik Pandya left out of Baroda squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27

Hardik Pandya was omitted from Baroda’s 15-man squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27, the state side announced on November 7, 2026, with the tournament scheduled to begin on November 14.

The 33-year-old all-rounder is still undergoing rehabilitation for a tibial bone stress injury and has been out of competitive cricket since the Indian Premier League 2026. Pandya’s last international appearance was in March when he featured in the ICC T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. He had been named in India A’s one-day squad for the home series against Australia A last month but withdrew because of a fresh shin injury. Since IPL 2026, Pandya has spent time at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru as part of his recovery.

Krunal Pandya will captain the Baroda side, with Atit Sheth named vice-captain. The 15-man squad announced by Baroda comprises Krunal Pandya (C), Atit Sheth (VC), Deepak Hooda, Shivalik Sharma, Shashwat Rawat, Amit Passi (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Bhanu Pania, Mahesh Pithiya, Parikshit Patidar, Hemant Punde, Raj Limbani, Rasik Dar, Dhruv B. Patel and Safvan Patel.

Baroda have been placed in Group C for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, alongside Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Services and Pondicherry. The competition will feature 38 teams divided into four Elite groups of eight teams each and one Plate group of six teams.

The tournament opens on Saturday, November 14, with a Plate-group fixture between Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Organisers have scheduled matches so that all 38 teams will take the field every other day.

Elsewhere in squad news, Nitish Rana has been selected for Delhi’s SMAT team and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named Bihar’s captain for the first two games. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy gets under way on November 14 with Arunachal Pradesh versus Manipur as the opening match.