Hardik Pandya has been one of the most valuable assets for Team India ever since he made his debut in January 2016 in a T20I series against Australia in Australia.
The Baroda-born all-rounder has improved his bowling by leaps and bounds, while also transforming his batting game from a hard-hitting lower middle-order batsman to a reliable middle-order batsman with the ability to shift gears faster than The Flash can sprint 100 metres.
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While Pandya is an incredibly talented player for India, growing into a leader in recent years, the biggest downside is his injury-prone nature.
Pandya's latest injury came during India's 2023 World Cup game against Bangladesh, where he twisted his ankle while attempting to stop the ball in the follow-up after bowling a delivery. He missed the rest of the World Cup campaign, the T20I series against Australia, and the ongoing tour of South Africa.
Reports have also stated that the 29-year-old is set to miss the T20I series against Afghanistan at home, with question marks also over his availability for IPL 2024.
In this article, The Sporting News takes a look at Pandya's injury record over the years.
MORE: What is Hardik Pandya's current injury update?
How many ODIs has Hardik Pandya missed since the 2019 World Cup?
Pandya suffered his first major injury in the 2018 Asia Cup, when he was stretchered off the field after a lower back issue.
After diagnosis, it was found out that he had suffered a stress fracture and would need a surgery followed by rehabilitation to overcome his issues.
However, he made it in time to play IPL 2019 and later the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In October of the same year, he underwent a successful back injury after complaining of persistent back pain in a T20I series against South Africa.
That back injury - and following relapses - led him to miss a lot of international cricket, while the rehab following the surgery required him to stay away from all the action and focus on returning to 100% fitness.
Indeed, between the end of the 2019 World Cup till the start of the 2023 World Cup, India played 66 ODIs. Pandya played just 28 during the same period, which is just 42.42%.
| Total ODIs since 2019 WC | ODIs played by Pandya | ODIs missed | % of games missed |
| 80 | 32 | 48 | 60% |
How many Tests has Hardik Pandya missed since 2020?
After playing IPL 2020 and 2021, Pandya had kind of put his injury issues past him, even though he hadn't returned to peak bowling fitness. He didn't bowl a single delivery in IPL 2020.
Pandya, who made his Test debut in 2018, last played a Test in September 2018, when India had toured to England for a five-match Test series.
Since then, India have played 47 Tests, with Pandya missed all 47 of them.
However, since he recovered from a surgery and completed his rehab in 2020, India have played 33 Tests including the ongoing Test against South Africa. Pandya hasn't been called up to a single Test squad, though.
| Total Tests since 2020 | Tests played by Pandya | Tests missed | % of games missed |
| 33 | 0 | 33 | 100% |
How many T20Is has Hardik Pandya missed since 2020?
Ever since Pandya made his T20I debut against Australia on January 26, 2016, India have played 159 T20Is (including the game where Pandya made his debut).
Pandya, in contrast, has just featured in 92 T20Is, which amounts to 57.86%. Again, like ODIs, he has missed above 40% of games in T20Is.
Since 2020, India have played 90 T20Is. Hardik, though, has featured in 52 of those games, missing 42.22% of games.
| Total T20Is since 2020 | T20Is played by Pandya | T20Is missed | % of games missed |
| 90 | 52 | 38 | 42.22% |
What next for Hardik Pandya?
Former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev, whom Pandya has drawn parallels to, spoke in June 2023 regarding Pandya's rotten luck with injuries.
“Injuries are part and parcel of every sportsperson’s life. I hope the situation improves. I always fear for Hardik Pandya, he gets injured very quickly. If all of these players are fit and fine, India can become a compact team,” Kapil Dev said.
Those words turned out to be prophetic in a way as Pandya suffered an ankle injury midway during India's 2023 World Cup campaign. Now, he remains a doubt for the Afghanistan T20I series.
Pandya's feckless fitness record has already seen him give up on what was once a promising Test career, and it wouldn't be outrageous to expect the same to happen with him in white-ball cricket if he doesn't take preventive measures from the offset.
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