Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya hasn't bowled either in the warm-up matches or in the IPL, since the Sri Lanka tour in July.
Coming into the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, Team India's biggest concern has been the form and the fitness of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Hardik missed the first two games for Mumbai Indians in the second half of the IPL 2021 as he was recovering from an injury and even though he played the remaining five games, he didn't bowl in any single one of them.
Hardik didn't bowl in India's two warm-up games as well and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma was asked about the same at the toss in the second match, he said that the 28-year old is still a while away from bowling but he was expecting to be bowling fit when the T20 World Cup starts.
Ahead of his side's opening clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, skipper Virat Kohli said that Hardik is getting better and the team is expecting to bowl a couple of overs at some stage in the tournament.
"Well, I honestly feel that Hardik Pandya presently with his physical condition is getting better in terms of being prepared to bowl at least two overs for us at a certain stage in this tournament and we strongly believe we can make the most of the opportunity we have at our hand till the time he starts bowling. We have considered a couple of other options to chip in with overs so we are not bothered about that all," said Kohli during a virtual pre-match press conference," Kohli said in pre-match press conference.
Kohli didn't bat against Australia but he fielded and also bowled a couple of overs to look at a sixth bowling option.
Kohli also said that Hardik's big-hitting is crucial at No 6 and it's important to back such players, who can take the match away from the opposition.
"What he brings at number six for us is something that you cannot create overnight. Hence, I was always in favour of backing him as a batter in Australia purely and we saw what he did in the T20I series and how he can take the game away from the opposition. We understand the value he brings to the team as a number six batter and it is important to have such players who can play impact innings. For us, that is way more valuable than forcing him to do something that he cannot at the moment, he is motivated and he is keen to start giving us a couple of overs to us," he added.
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 "Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya")
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