3 players who can replace Hardik Pandya if he's ruled out of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs ft. Shivam Dube

India v England - 4th T20I - Source: Getty
Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya played the fast-bowling all-rounder role to perfection in India's triumphant Asia Cup 2025 campaign [Credit: Getty]

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya missed the all-important Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan with a quadriceps injury. Yet, the Men in Blue overcame his absence to pull off a thrilling victory to win their ninth Asia Cup title.

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Unfortunately for India, Hardik appears set to miss more time due to the injury, including the upcoming ODI series in Australia. In a repeat of the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the two teams will battle over three ODIs, starting October 19.

The veteran all-rounder suffered the injury during India's final Super Four game of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka. He has reportedly been advised to take at least four weeks of rest, leaving his participation in the Australia ODIs in doubt.

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With his unique skillset of bowling medium pace and batting anywhere in the middle order, Hardik is arguably India's most indispensable commodity in white-ball cricket. Yet, Team India has a few potential replacements for the maverick all-rounder that could get a look into the squad for the Australia ODIs.

On that note, let us look at three players who could replace Hardik Pandya in the Indian squad for the upcoming Australia ODIs.

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#1 Shivam Dube

Batting all-rounder Shivam Dube produced a magnificent showing in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025 final with bat and ball, helping India overcome Hardik Pandya's loss in the summit clash. The 32-year-old was tasked with bowling in the power play against Pakistan in Hardik's absence.

He pulled off that and some more, finishing with admirable figures of 0/23 in three overs with his medium-pace bowling. Dube also scored a crucial 22-ball 33 with timely boundaries to help India complete a tense run-chase in the final over.

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He enjoyed a surprisingly impressive tournament with the ball, picking up five wickets at an average of 20.20 and an economy of 7.76 in six outings. While there is no one in Indian cricket to fill Hardik's void, it is undeniable that Dube is the closest like-for-like replacement.

The latter's latest ODI appearance for India came in the Sri Lankan tour last year. Dube has played four ODIs overall with sub-par all-round numbers. However, with his newfound confidence with bat and ball from the Asia Cup, the time might be ideal for him to get another opportunity in the Indian ODI squad for the Australian tour.

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#2 Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Reddy will have fond memories from India's previous tour of Australia [Credit: Getty]
Nitish Reddy will have fond memories from India's previous tour of Australia [Credit: Getty]

India have invested heavily in batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy over the last year as a potential successor to Hardik Pandya in the future. The 22-year-old has already made his Test and T20I debuts for India, and the time couldn't be better for him to break through in the 50-over format.

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Nitish has already showcased his ability to thrive in Australian conditions, with his incredible maiden Test century in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Hence, he would be the ideal candidate to replace Hardik Pandya in the squad for the Australian ODIs.

The young all-rounder boasts an excellent List-A record with a batting average of over 36 and a strike rate of 95.27. He has also picked up 14 wickets in his 22 List-A outings at an economy of 5.81.

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#3 Suryansh Shedge

Given Hardik Pandya's occasional fitness issues, Team India could be well-served for the future by building a pool of pace-bowling all-rounders for white-ball cricket. With the ODI World Cup 2027 still in the rearview, as the T20 World Cup fast approaches next year, there could not be a better time for testing newer options for different roles.

Such an approach could lend to Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge's selection as Hardik Pandya's replacement in the ODI squad for Australia. The 22-year-old is currently part of the India A ODI squad for the three-match series against Australia A.

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Shedge impressed for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's premier 50-over competition. He picked up nine wickets at an average of 16.22 in seven outings, while also averaging 17 at a strike rate of over 91 with the willow.

The youngster also got his first taste of the high-pressure IPL environment, playing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) this year. While he struggled with bat and ball in his five matches, Shedge should be better for the experience going forward.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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