India’s preparations for the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack have been hampered by an injury to star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Hardik, who had returned from a two-month hiatus due to a left quadriceps injury, missed India’s final training session on Monday, raising concerns ahead of the five-match series.
Hardik got injured in the 2025 Asia Cup and has been under BCCI’s watch ever since. He took part in two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches for Baroda last week, bowling full spells before joining the national team ahead of schedule in Cuttack. With the 2026 T20 World Cup just a few months away, India is heavily relying on Hardik, especially after Nitish Kumar Reddy’s poor performances.
The all-rounder trained alone at the Barabati Stadium on Sunday evening. He began with an extended warm-up before moving on to throwdown drills with specialists Nuwan Seneviratne and Dayanand Garani. However, after just 20 minutes of bowling, he appeared to be in discomfort and received treatment for another 20 minutes before resuming batting practice. He also skipped India’s final training session on Monday, a day ahead of the first T20I. According to sources, Hardik missed practice only as a precaution and is not dealing with any major injury concerns.
Shubman Gill returns from a neck injury
Hardik had his rest, but Shubman Gill, nursing a neck issue, batted for over two hours in the nets against both Jasprit Bumrah and local bowlers. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav looked comfortable facing spinners, while Jitesh Sharma and Washington Sundar concentrated on power hitting. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma even bowled for extended spells.
Interestingly, Barabati Stadium will host its first-ever game on red soil. Like the Wankhede, the pitch is expected to offer bounce and pace, setting up a potentially high-scoring contest under lights. Notably, India have lost both T20Is at this venue against South Africa.
India are likely to open with Gill and Abhishek Sharma, while Sanju Samson might miss out on the XI. Aiden Markram leads South Africa, with Anrich Nortje returning for his first international match since the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
