India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya has taken a significant step in his career by relocating to Bengaluru, where he plans to train regularly at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (COE) for the foreseeable future.

The decision makes Pandya the first current Indian international to establish the national high-performance facility as his primary training base instead of using it only for rehabilitation or national camps, as is usually the case for centrally contracted players.

Although Pandya hails from Baroda, Gujarat, he had been living in Mumbai for several years and typically trained at the Mumbai Indians' facilities during the IPL season. However, he has now shifted to a rented home on the outskirts of Bengaluru, close to the COE, to simplify his training schedule.

According to sources, the move was driven by convenience, as frequent travel from his Mumbai residence for training sessions had become increasingly challenging. Being a centrally contracted player, Pandya has unrestricted access to the Centre's advanced medical, fitness and cricketing facilities, making it an ideal long-term base.

The 32-year-old is currently recovering from a quadriceps injury that ruled him out of India's ongoing white-ball tour of the United Kingdom. Over the past six months, he has spent considerable time at the Centre while undergoing rehabilitation.

Apart from using the COE's infrastructure, Pandya will reportedly continue working with his own physiotherapist as well as a dedicated strength and conditioning coach to oversee his personalised fitness programme.

Sources also said the all-rounder intends to continue representing India in white-ball cricket for several more years and believes training full-time in Bengaluru will help him extend his career. Even for specialised batting practice, including sessions against net bowlers arranged through the COE, Pandya reportedly bears the additional expenses himself.

His recovery process is still underway. After taking a brief break for personal commitments, Pandya is expected to return to Bengaluru shortly to resume rehabilitation.

It remains uncertain whether he will regain full match fitness in time for India's upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, as his selection will depend on successfully completing the BCCI's Return-to-Play protocols.