Hardik Pandya has suffered a fresh right-shin injury and is set to miss the New Zealand white-ball series
The all-rounder has been advised two weeks of complete rest before his rehabilitation begins
Pandya could target a comeback during the Zimbabwe series or domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Hardik Pandya's return to competitive cricket has suffered another setback, with the India all-rounder sidelined by a fresh injury to his right shin.
Pandya is expected to be out of action for at least three weeks, which means he will miss India's upcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand. The setback also puts a question mark over his availability for the domestic tournaments later in the year as he works his way back to full fitness.
The 32-year-old had been targeting a return on September 20, with the selectors subsequently including him in the India A squad for the One-Day series against Australia A, beginning October 6. However, his latest scans have revealed a fresh problem.
"This is very unfortunate but Hardik's latest scan reports have revealed an injury to his right shin. He has been advised complete rest for a period of two weeks. BCCI's medical panel head Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala has seen his reports and on his return from Japan, will assess him and decide on when he can start his rehabilitation," a BCCI source tracking COE developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Pandya's immediate international comeback now appears unlikely. India's T20I series against New Zealand begins on October 22 and will be followed by an ODI series, leaving him with no realistic chance of recovering in time for the tour.
The latest injury comes after a prolonged period on the sidelines and another series of setbacks during his rehabilitation.
It is understood that the BCCI had initially planned for Pandya to travel to Japan with the Indian contingent for the Asian Games, with the board's operations team even taking his passport for visa-related formalities.
However, shortly before the Afghanistan T20 series, Pandya experienced a sudden shooting pain around his knee during fielding drills. He subsequently took a break and opted to rest for a few days. Just when he appeared ready to obtain his fitness clearance, the pain returned, and scans detected an injury.
Pandya has been based in Bengaluru since the conclusion of the IPL and has been training at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence after relocating to the city.
His comeback bid has now been repeatedly disrupted by injury concerns. Over the past four months, Pandya has suffered fresh niggles on at least three occasions, with setbacks occurring around the Afghanistan ODIs, England T20Is and now the Australia A assignment.
With the New Zealand series effectively beyond his reach, Pandya's next potential opportunity could come with India's ODI series against Zimbabwe, provided he regains full fitness.
He could also use the Vijay Hazare Trophy or Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as a pathway back to competitive cricket before returning to the international setup.
