Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has relocated to Bengaluru, making the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE) his permanent training base for the remainder of his playing career. In doing so, he has become the first prominent current Indian cricketer to adopt such an arrangement.

Traditionally, India’s centrally contracted players visit the Centre of Excellence primarily for injury rehabilitation, fitness evaluations or national team camps. Pandya’s decision marks a significant departure from that practice, with the all-rounder planning to train there whenever he is not on international, IPL or domestic duty.

Although Pandya hails from Baroda in Gujarat, he has spent much of the past decade living in Mumbai, where he trained mainly at the Mumbai Indians’ high-performance facility in Ghansoli.

The 32-year-old is currently recovering from a quadriceps injury that ruled him out of India’s ongoing white-ball tour of the UK. Over the last six months, he has spent considerable time at the Centre of Excellence as part of his rehabilitation and training programme.

“Hardik has already permanently shifted to Bengaluru. He has rented a property on the outskirts of the city, close to the COE. He will be the first Indian cricketer to make the COE his permanent training base for the remainder of his career,” a BCCI source said.

According to the source, Pandya decided to leave Mumbai because travelling daily from his Lower Parel residence for training had become increasingly inconvenient.

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“Hardik wanted to move out of Mumbai as commuting every day from his Lower Parel residence for training had become a problem. As a centrally-contracted cricketer, he has access to every facility at the COE, from injury management to skills training.

“Hence, he took the decision to make the COE his permanent base whenever he is not on IPL, state or national duty,” the source said. Pandya is also expected to work with his own physiotherapist and a personal strength and conditioning coach, who will oversee his training routines outside the COE’s structured programmes.

“It is like shifting his base to Bengaluru as long as he plays white-ball cricket for India, and he intends to play for at least another five to six years. “Even when he does skill work, such as batting against net bowlers hired by the COE, Hardik pays them from his own pocket,” the source added.

As for his return to competitive cricket, Pandya’s rehabilitation remains underway. He reportedly took a brief break to attend to personal commitments and is expected to return to the Centre of Excellence within the next couple of days to continue his recovery.

It remains uncertain whether he will be considered for selection for India’s three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which follows immediately after the ongoing UK tour, if he successfully completes the BCCI’s Return-to-Play protocols and is declared fully fit.