Hardik Pandya may not return before IPL 2027 as shin injury layoff lengthens

Hardik Pandya may not return to competitive cricket before IPL 2027 after a fresh injury setback, according to a report in Dainik Jagran. The Mumbai Indians captain is recovering from a stress injury to the inner side of his shin and has already been ruled out of the New Zealand T20Is starting on 22 October — with no confirmed return date set.

According to the report, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala reviewed Pandya’s medical reports last week. He is expected to resume jogging after about three weeks, followed by an eight-week progressive build-up of his running workload. The report adds that the timeline makes it unlikely he will be in contention for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on 13 December or the ODI series against Zimbabwe starting on 3 January — and the domestic white-ball season could also pass him by.

Pandya has been rehabilitating at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2026, in which he featured in 10 of Mumbai Indians’ 14 matches. His last T20I was the 2026 T20 World Cup final; his last ODI was the 2025 Champions Trophy final. He has since missed the Afghanistan ODIs, the T20I series against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe, the India A one-dayers against Australia A (his selection was subject to fitness clearance) and the Asian Games.

The prolonged absence has derailed the BCCI’s reported plan to preserve him for the 50-over game in the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2027. IPL 2027 — sometime in late March or early April next year — now looks like his most likely return, though the report stresses that even this is only a possibility, not a confirmed date.

More on Hardik Pandya’s injury layoff.

Sources: Cricbuzz, India.com, Sportskeeda, Indian Witness — all reporting a Dainik Jagran report published on 21 October.