India head coach Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that Hardik Pandya’s current fitness is still not enough for him to bowl 10 overs in an ODI. With the all-rounder having played very little competitive cricket over the last four months, the team management is unwilling to rush him back into international cricket.

Pandya remains an important part of India’s limited-overs plans, but his fitness has frequently required careful workload management. Gambhir indicated that the team could accommodate both Pandya and young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy once Pandya is fully fit to contribute with the ball.

“Hardik Pandya can’t bowl 10 overs at the moment. We don’t want to rush him into international cricket. When he is fit, there is a possibility of both he and Nitish playing,” Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.

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The comments came after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan with a commanding 127-run victory in the third match.

For India, Pandya’s return is closely linked to his ability to operate as a genuine all-rounder. His bowling provides crucial balance in the ODI format, making full fitness with the ball an important factor in his selection.

Pandya was named in the India A squad for the one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, subject to final fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

The all-rounder has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2026 after dealing with a series of injuries. He was initially selected for India’s Afghanistan ODIs in June but suffered a leg injury before the series.

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Before that setback, Pandya had missed four matches for Mumbai Indians because of back spasms and was undergoing conditioning work at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. He is expected to undergo a fitness test next week, with selectors continuing to take a cautious approach given his importance to India’s ODI balance.