Will Hardik Pandya play vs Afghanistan? Latest injury updates and what it means for India in ODIs originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Hardik Pandya reportedly ruled out of Afghanistan ODIs with a quadriceps strain injury.He had initially cleared fitness tests at BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Selectors see Pandya as crucial to India's 2027 ODI World Cup plans in South Africa.Hardik Pandya ruled out of Afghanistan ODIs with a quad strain; England series also in doubtHardik Pandya has reportedly been ruled out of India's three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after suffering a quadriceps strain.The all-rounder had travelled to the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on June 2, completed a full week of drills and fitness assessments, and was initially given the green light to feature in the series.However, a late injury setback in his quadriceps forced him to the treatment table once again.Hardik had initially passed all the necessary tests and was given the clearance. But a late setback has ruled him out of the Afghanistan series. He suffered a quadriceps strain and has been advised for close to two weeks, a source told Hindustan Times Digital.He will be staying at the CoE to continue with his recovery process, he added.MORE:IND A vs SL A highlights: Gaikwad's century, clutch run-out help India A snatch victoryThe quadriceps issue is the latest in a string of fitness problems for Pandya. During IPL 2026, he suffered back spasms while captaining Mumbai Indians and missed several matches for the franchise as a result.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam)When is Hardik Pandya likely to return?Pandya has not been included in India's T20I squads for the Ireland and England tours or for the Asian Games.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has informed that it is adeliberate effort to manage him carefully ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa."He is a part of the one-day squad right now in (the) Afghanistan (series). Like Bumrah, if we can get him playing well and keep him fit for one-day cricket, I dont think hes played one-day cricket for a while, that is, at this point, the main objective, said Agarkar.The official made it clear that keeping Pandya available for ODIs is the priority over rotating him through T20 assignments.We can always bring him back. It also gives us an opportunity to give someone like Nitish Reddy a few opportunities with T20 cricket. So, there will be a little bit of rest and rotation with regards to T20 (in Pandyas case), he added.MORE:What to expect from India's new T20I captain-coach duo of Iyer-GambhirAccording toPTI,Pandya might take three weeks to recover, and after that, rehabilitation will start. Meanwhile, India is set to play their first ODI on July 14. Hence, Hardik is most likely to miss out on the England ODI series.TheIndia ODI squad for Afghanistan are expected to gather in Mohali on Wednesday for an optional training session at the IS Bindra Stadium before the group moves on to Dharamsala on Thursday.Rohit Sharma has been cleared to participate in the series. Virat Kohli, however, remains unavailable with a hamstring injury, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has already been confirmed as his replacement in the squad.MORE:India squad for Afghanistan Test and ODI series 2026: Full team lists for IND vs AFG series (getty) The Bigger Picture: Nitish Kumar Reddy will likely get a starting berthPandya's fitness record has become the central challenge around his place in Indian cricket. When he is fit and firing, very few players in the world offer what he does with bat and ball in the 50-over format. The problem is that "when he is fit" has become a phrase used too often in relation to him.The team management is already looking at Nitish Kumar Reddy as a long-term successor for Pandya, and if the all-rounder impresses against Afghanistan, he will make a strong case for himself for future assignments as well.MORE:Indias T20I squad signals a generational shift"The main objective is to see if he (Pandya) can start playing well and stay healthy with 50-over cricket with the World Cup in a year and a half, around that sort of time. It gives us a lot of balance, Agarkar said.The World Cup is in South Africa, if he is bowling well enough. Well assess how we go in the next few months, thats primarily the reason at this point.Gautam Gambhir rates Pandya highly, and during the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, India will need Pandya at his best. Getting him there in one piece over the next eighteen months is the real challenge.To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit ourFacebookandX (Twitter)pages.