India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav said Hardik Pandya’s return to the T20I side is a huge boost for the Indian team as his quality across many facets of the game gives India the balance they need when playing in the shortest format.
The 32-year-old all-rounder is fit and ready to do his thing return from quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup, causing him to lose the final against Pakistan. He was unable to play in the ODI and T20I series against Australia as well as the ODI matches at home against South Africa due to injury.
With his return to the Indian side, he regains a solid option with bat and ball and hopes there will be no further deterrents as the team looks to maintain its unbeaten T20I win streak since the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian team.
“I think what you saw in the Asia Cup as well, when he bowled with the new ball, it opened up a lot of options for us, a lot of combinations in terms of playing XI,” Suryakumar Yadav said at the pre-match press conference in Cuttack.
“That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he’s done really well in all the matches, all the good matches, also in all the bigger matches at ICC events. I think that experience will count a lot. His presence will definitely add a good balance,” he added.
The Indian captain confirmed that both Pandya and vice-captain Shubman Gill are all fit and ready to join the squad for the T20I series starting on Tuesday, December 2.
“They both look healthy and fit right now,” he said.
THE JOURNEY TO THE T20 WORLD CUP 2026 BEGINS
The South Africa series begins India’s journey to the FIFA T20 World Cup 2026. The men in blue have 10 T20Is taking part in the run-up to the ICC’s showpiece event in the shortest format. But the captain emphasized that their preparations for 2026 only started after theirs title triumph in Barbados.
“Our preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026 started right after we won the 2024 World Cup… Our preparation is similar. The preparation started after the T20 World Cup 2024 ended. Since then we have been trying new things and everything is working for us,” he said.
While India have had their fair share of matches in ODI and Test cricket, the shortest format is where the team has looked its best. Suryakumar Yadav attributed it to consistency in selection and wants the team to maintain their solid form.
“I feel that in the last 5-6 series that we have played, we have tried and played with a similar combination. We have not changed too much… Everything is going well. We wanted to continue in the same way,” he said.
The Indian team plays South Africa in Cuttack on Tuesday and the Men in Blue are not expected to deviate from their winning combination.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
December 8, 2025
