India hit by Hardik Pandya setback ahead of England tour; Virat Kohli still not cleared

India's preparations for the white-ball tour of England have suffered a major setback, with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya set to miss the entire series because of injury concerns.

ANI sources confirmed that Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming England assignment, which begins on July 1 with a five-match T20I series before concluding with three ODIs later in the month. His absence leaves India without one of their most experienced multi-dimensional players at a crucial stage of the season.

The development comes amid growing fitness concerns in the Indian camp, with senior batter Virat Kohli also racing against time to prove his fitness. Kohli has remained sidelined since sustaining a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their title. The former India captain is expected to undergo a fitness assessment on June 26 before selectors take a final call on his availability for the England series.

For India, Pandya's absence is important given his role as a pace-bowling all-rounder capable of balancing the side in both T20Is and ODIs. The injury setback stems from a leg strain that followed the back spasms, which had already forced him to miss four matches during Mumbai Indians' IPL 2026 campaign.

Pandya endured a difficult IPL season, struggling to make a major impact with either bat or ball. Leading Mumbai Indians, he managed 206 runs in 10 innings at an average of 22.88 and a strike rate of 138.25, while claiming only four wickets as the franchise finished in the lower half of the standings.

The 32-year-old was also unavailable for India's ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan despite earlier being cleared by the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE).

According to sources, Pandya had submitted a fitness report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shortly before the team's departure. However, concerns resurfaced after his final training session at the CoE.

"He was declared fit by COE and sent his fitness report to the Board two days before, but after his final session before leaving COE, he had some issues about his fitness," a source said.

The BCCI has already announced India's squad for the T20I leg of the England tour, while the ODI squad is expected to be named in the coming days.

With ANI inputs