All-rounder Hardik Pandya to make comeback in SMAT with Baroda
What's the story
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to make his much-anticipated comeback to competitive cricket by playing for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The tournament starts on November 26 and will be held in Hyderabad. Pandya, who has been recovering from a quadriceps injury, is currently training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is likely to be match-fit by then.
Tournament involvement
Pandya expected to play 1st match
Pandya is expected to play in the first match of the tournament, barring any unforeseen circumstances. If all goes well, he will head straight to Hyderabad after getting a Return to Play (RTP) from the CoE. The domestic T20 tournament will see Baroda playing their matches in Hyderabad, starting November 26. This could give Pandya a chance to play at least one competitive game before India's ODI series against South Africa starts on November 30.
Injury impact
Pandya closing in on match fitness
The 32-year-old has been working hard in Bengaluru for the past few weeks, getting close to match fitness after injuring his left quadricep during an Asia Cup game against Sri Lanka. The injury had kept him out of the final against arch-rivals Pakistan and he hasn't played competitive cricket since. He missed the ODIs and T20Is series in Australia but is now on course to play white-ball matches against South Africa.