The Hardik Pandya conundrum: Injured, dropped, or not in plans?

What exactly is happening with Hardik Pandya? Widely regarded as India's finest seam-bowling all-rounder since Kapil Dev, he finds himself in the cold, both in the ODI and T20I scheme of things.

While announcing the squad for the three-match ODI series in England on Sunday (June 21), the BCCI made no mention of his status. Is he injured? Has he been dropped? Have the selectors decided to move on from him? Or is the omission simply because he is still not in a position to bowl 10 overs in an ODI?

Pandya continues to undergo rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. After a short break following the IPL, he checked in on June 2 and has remained there, undergoing a Performance Block Programme: a concentrated period of training and conditioning at his own request.

The initial concern was a back spasm. More recently, he has been dealing with a quadriceps strain, which has delayed his return to full fitness. Sources familiar with his injury said: "Hardik experienced minor/low grade tenderness in leg on June 9. He voluntarily got the leg scanned as a precaution. Scans were sent to Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala who advised 4-5 days rest followed by a three-week training programme. He started light training on June 16."

Pandya has recently stepped up training intensity and is expected to regain full fitness by the first week of July. With the first ODI against England on July 14, the question is whether selectors could have considered him for the squad, subject to fitness. It is learnt that selectors are not sure whether he will be in a position to bowl 10 overs.

The Pandya situation may be seen in context of a recent statement from India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate: "When Hardik's fit, he brings a different element as a strong batter and finisher. It is difficult to find a finisher who can give you overs. With Nitish (Reddy), for the last 18 months he's shown glimpses of how important he can be. I feel he is the natural successor to Hardik."

Pandya had an underwhelming IPL season with both bat and ball, while his team barely avoided the bottom spot. Speculation has intensified about his future at Mumbai Indians, with reports suggesting he could be on the move. Buzz links him with Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals.

Despite a poor season, one franchise owner told this reporter that an Indian all-rounder who can bat at a strike rate of 150, bowl at 140 and take up leadership responsibilities is 'gold dust'. However, Pandya can move only if Mumbai Indians decide to trade him, and no such decision has been taken yet. The matter is expected to be considered as part of a holistic review of the season.