Seasoned Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has suffered another injury setback, which has ruled him out of the ODIs against Afghanistan. As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, the 32-year-old is said to have suffered a leg strain while training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Hardik‘s selection in the ODI squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan was subject to fitness. The Mumbai Indians (MI) captain also missed a few games in IPL 2026 due to back spasms. Hardik’s latest injury will definitely concern the selectors and team management.
As per a report in The Times of India, given the constant fitness woes with regard to Hardik, discussions have begun in the Indian camp about preparing for life without the seasoned all-rounder. On that note, let’s take a look at three players India can groom as Hardik’s replacement for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
#1 Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been part of the Indian team for a couple of seasons now. He is currently the frontrunner to take over from Hardik in case the latter’s fitness woes continue in the build up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, Reddy is still very raw as an all-rounder, even though he has already made a mark as a batter.
The 23-year-old is a talented all-rounder without doubt. However, he needs to be given a consistent run in the Indian one-day squad so that he can prove his worth. As of now, Reddy has only featured in four one-dayers for the Men in Blue. He is yet to claim a wicket in the format for India and has scored exactly 100 runs.
Bowling is the concern with Reddy, assuming he is being looked at as Hardik’s replacement. His pace is not something that troubles the batters. The 23-year-old has been working with UK-based bowling coach Stefan Jones to increase his pace and endurance. Reddy also impressed for SRH in IPL 2026. However, the big question is whether he can bowl 10 overs in an ODI if the need arises.
#2 Harshit Rana
As for now, Harshit Rana is a fast bowler who can chip in with the bat in the lower order. However, the Indian management seems to have plenty of faith in Harshit’s batting ability. He has been promoted in the batting order a couple of times and young cricketer has not disappointed with the willow.
The 24-year-old has played 14 ODI matches so far and has registered impressive numbers with the ball in hand. The right-arm fast bowler has picked up 26 wickets at an average of 27.38 and a strike rate of 6.21, with a best of 4-39. If we talk about his batting, he has scored 124 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 121.56. He hammered 52 off 43 in an ODI against New Zealand earlier this year.
If Harshit can show significant improvement in his batting over the next few months, he could even be looked at as a like-for-like replacement for Hardik for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Harshit already possesses an X-factor with the ball in hand. In the few knocks that has played in the one-day format, Harshit has displayed the ability score at a fast pace. He, however, needs to work hard on his fitness.
#3 Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube is the dark horse in the race among candidates who could be groomed as Hardik’s replacement in the build-up to next year’s ODI World Cup. Like Reddy, lack of pace is an issue with Dube as well. However, the 32-year-old has the built to add a few yards to his bowling if he works really hard on it. Dube has shown some glimpses of improvement, but he’s still a work in progress.
A regular in the T20I side, Dube has played only four ODIs for India, the last of which was back in August 2024. However, his batting has really come of age in the last couple of years. He has the game to succeed with the willow in the 50-over format as well. The big question is whether his bowling can develop to the extent where he can handle the rigors of the one-day game.
Edited by Renin Wilben Albert