Photo via Hindustan Times

Gautam Gambhir issues update on Hardik Pandya's prolonged absence: ‘He can’t bowl 10 overs at the moment'

Following India's T20I series triumph over Afghanistan, head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that Hardik Pandya remains unready for international duty because he cannot currently deliver a complete 10-over spell. Sidelined by physical ailments since the 2026 Indian Premier League, the Mumbai Indians skipper has been omitted from the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies starting September 27, though he earned a conditional selection for India A's 50-over matches against Australia A to build match sharpness.

Gambhir stressed that the national team will take a cautious approach to Pandya's return, expecting him to prove his endurance in the A-team fixtures before rejoining the white-ball setups.

Pandya has not featured for India since their victory against New Zealand in the Men's T20 World Cup final. In his absence, the coaching staff has called upon seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was removed from the Asian Games roster to take part in the 50-over games versus the West Indies.