Senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya will have to prove his match readiness at the India 'A' level before forcing his way back into the senior side, with the BCCI confirming his inclusion in the one-day squad for the three-match series against Australia 'A' in Puducherry in October — subject to full fitness.

The announcement on Wednesday formally rules Pandya out of India's three-match ODI series against West Indies, which begins on September 27. The 32-year-old has been sidelined since the end of IPL 2026, first with a quadricep injury and then a shin problem, which also saw him miss the T20I series against Afghanistan starting in New Delhi from September 13.

Pandya has been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and sources told TOI that he has resumed bowling, averaging seven overs daily, with full fitness expected by September 21-22. Despite that encouraging progress, the selectors appear determined to assess his match sharpness at India 'A' level before considering him for the senior side again.

The caution is understandable given what lies ahead. With an ODI World Cup scheduled for October-November 2027, the team management wants Pandya bowling a full quota of 10 overs regularly — a workload he has rarely shouldered consistently in recent years. The India 'A' assignment against Australia 'A' is seen as the ideal checkpoint to test both his body and his rhythm.

India 'A' one-day squad

Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Devdutt Padikkal (VC), P Arya, S Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur.

India 'A' multi-day squad

Devdutt Padikkal (C), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Praful Hinge, N Jagadeesan (WK), Nachiket Bhute, V Vyshak.

Pandya features only in the one-day squad for the Australia 'A' series, underscoring the selectors' immediate focus on his limited-overs fitness. Should he come through the series unscathed and bowling his full quota, a return to the senior fold — and the fast-approaching World Cup cycle — would move a significant step closer.