Hardik Pandya’s prolonged absence from competitive cricket has once again brought the issue of player workload, game time and injuries into focus, with India also dealing with fitness concerns involving several other players.Pandya has not played competitive cricket since the final week of IPL 2026. He was expected to return for India A in the upcoming ODI series against Australia A, beginning October 6, but his comeback was delayed. His return-to-play date had been set for September 20, and he is now ruled out of the upcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand.So what does Pandya need to do to be available more often?“Play more cricket,” former India captain Kapil Dev told Times of India.Asked if he felt Pandya was not doing that, Kapil said: “I don’t know. You play more, your body gets tuned to that. But if you play less and suddenly you play more, chances of injury increase. If your muscles are fine, your injuries are less.”Kapil’s comments come at a time when India are dealing with a number of injury concerns. Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out for at least three weeks and is highly likely to miss the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand. India’s tour of New Zealand begins with the T20I series on October 22.Harshit Rana has also suffered a fitness setback and is unlikely to be picked for India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand. Rana was ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan as well as the 2026 Asian Games last month due to injury. He was recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru but developed low-grade pain in his left quadriceps during a match simulation.Pandya, meanwhile, has been away from competitive cricket since the conclusion of IPL 2026, while Harshit last featured during India’s white-ball leg against England in July.The wider spread of cricket injuries over the last four-five years also prompted a discussion with Kapil on whether the volume of cricket has contributed to the problem.The former India captain pointed to the difference in the playing patterns of his generation, citing Sandeep Patil’s observation about how players used to remain involved in different forms of domestic cricket.“Sandeep Patil put it very nicely. ‘In our time we used to play Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, club cricket, other cricket too.’ In 365 days, if you can play 250 days, you’re in the game.”For Kapil, regular cricket helps the body stay accustomed to the demands of the game. For India, Pandya’s prolonged absence and the fitness concerns surrounding several other players underline the challenge of keeping key players available for longer stretches.
