Gautam Gambhir Says Hardik Pandya Can't Bowl 10 Overs Yet, Leaves Him Out of West Indies Series

Gautam Gambhir Says Hardik Pandya Can't Bowl 10 Overs Yet, Leaves Him Out of West Indies Series

India head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a blunt update on Hardik Pandya's fitness Thursday, September 17, after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan with a 127-run win in the third match in New Delhi.

"Hardik Pandya cannot bowl 10 overs at the moment," Gambhir told reporters in the post-match press conference, according to Daily Prabhat and the Hindustan Times. "We don't want to rush him into international cricket."

Pandya, who captains Mumbai Indians in the IPL, hasn't played for India since the T20 World Cup, which India won by beating New Zealand in the final, according to the Hindustan Times. He was named in the India A squad for a one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, but that spot is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, per Rediff and The Sports Tak.

He was left out entirely of India's T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming West Indies series, which starts September 27.

The Nitish Kumar Reddy Piece

With Pandya sidelined, Gambhir has leaned on Nitish Kumar Reddy as India's seam-bowling all-rounder option. Reddy took three wickets in the second and third T20Is against Afghanistan, according to the Times of India, and grabbed three more in the series-clinching win alongside Ravi Bishnoi, helping bowl Afghanistan out for 94.

That total marked Afghanistan's heaviest defeat and lowest score against India in T20I history, according to thenewsmill. India had posted 221 for 7 first, built around Abhishek Sharma's 108 off 34 balls, a knock Rediff reported broke Rohit Sharma's record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian.

Reddy was originally part of India's 15-member Asian Games squad. He's been pulled from that to instead join the ODI series against West Indies, according to Daily Prabhat and thenewsmill.

"From Nitish's point of view, it's actually a great thing that he's been withdrawn from the T20 format, and he'll get game time against the West Indies as well," Gambhir said. "We know how important a seam-bowling all-rounder will probably be in a year and when we go to South Africa."

Why It Matters For 2027

Gambhir tied the decision directly to India's planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup and an upcoming tour of South Africa, saying the team needs proven seam-bowling all-rounders in that window. This is the stated rationale across Daily Prabhat, thenewsmill and the Hindustan Times for prioritizing Reddy's game time now rather than parking him on the bench waiting for Pandya.

Gambhir didn't rule out playing both men together once Pandya is fully fit. "Sometimes we could even go on to play both of them in the playing 11," he said, according to multiple outlets including the Times of India and The Sports Tak. But he was explicit that Pandya's path back runs through performance, not reputation. "If he can play that India A series, and then if everything goes well, he can come back and be part of the T20s and the one-day squad as well."

The coach also addressed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who missed the Afghanistan T20Is, telling reporters he'll have to wait for another opportunity, according to the Hindustan Times, without offering guarantees.

The practical question now is timing. Pandya's India A ODIs against Australia A in Puducherry are still contingent on sign-off from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence medical staff. If that clearance comes through and he performs, Gambhir has said he can return for the T20I and ODI squads. If it doesn't, Reddy keeps banking the overs India says it needs from a seam-bowling all-rounder heading into a World Cup cycle and a tour of South Africa.