Getting back with a “bang” had been Hardik Pandya’s goal following his
recovery from the quadriceps injury.

Whether it has actually been a comeback with a bang can be debated. But the command with which all-rounder Hardik batted in the just-concluded T20Is against South Africa, which marked his return to international cricket after over two months, bodes well for India as they closed out 2025 with yet another series victory and appear strongly placed for the challenges ahead in 2026.

Tallying 142 runs with two half-centuries at an average of 71 and a strike rate of 186.84, Hardik finished as India’s second-highest run-getter in the T20I series against the Proteas. In a nutshell, the assurance he showed at the crease played a critical role in India’s 3-1 series win. The confidence of batsman Hardik will be vital for the team leading into their T20 World Cup defence this February.

With the ball, Hardik’s comeback series didn’t go too well. But there were occasions when he ensured strikes in crucial situations, often surprising rival batters with the slow short-pitched ball which has earned him success in the past too.

“Hardik has been working very hard on his fitness and preparation. Keeping that preparation part in mind, he was very eager to play a couple of matches (for Baroda) in the Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) Trophy. And then we saw how well those matches (against Punjab and Gujarat) helped him,” Baroda coach Mukund Parmar told The Telegraph on Sunday.

More game time is a priority for Hardik, and his presence in a game or two even in the Vijay Hazare Trophy cannot be ruled out.

Focus on batting

For almost three weeks at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, while on his way to regain game fitness after recovering from the injury, Hardik laid “extra” emphasis on his batting. It was learnt that the seamer all-rounder spent hours at nets with the bat last month, focusing on rigorous practice of shots that were also about placement alongside power.

Strikingly, in his very first competitive appearance earlier this month against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Hardik produced an unbeaten 77 off 47 balls. “In terms of game awareness and reading the situation as a batter, Hardik is more mature, stronger and sharper now,” Parmar pointed out.

According to former national selector Devang Gandhi, “Having gained experience, Hardik has gained proved he’s capable of weathering the storm if there’s an early collapse as well as accelerating at the death, which makes his role in the middle order crucial.”