Why is Hardik Pandya not bowling: Will Hardik Pandya bowl in India vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup match?

Will Hardik Pandya bowl today: The Indian cricketer’s bowling fitness has been a source of concern for the team management.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has figured out ways to not get affected by the ballyhoo around an India-Pakistan World Cup match. Not that Pandya hasn’t played such a high-profile match in the past, the buzz around the same has it in it to leave an impact on even the players.

“I don’t like to get too hyped by the situation and my family makes sure of that too. I stay away from social media because you do get excited and get the vibes.

“It’s simple, and we leave emotions out of the way, and keep things professional. We make sure we tick the right boxes, and do the processes right,” Pandya was quoted as saying by Star Sports before the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

All w̶a̶r̶m̶e̶d̶ fired up 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1z8NDwtSxQ

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) October 20, 2021

Pandya, 28, is playing his seventh white-ball match against arch-rivals Pakistan. In the previous six matches, Pandya has scored 122 runs in four innings at an average and strike rate of 40.66 and 174.28 respectively. Pandya’s nine white-ball wickets against Pakistan have come at an average of 21.88, an economy rate of 5.42 and a strike rate of 24.2.

Will Hardik Pandya bowl in India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match?

Pandya, generally known to be an all-rounder, is continuing to play a competitive match as a specialist batter. Readers must note that Pandya had undergone a back surgery a couple of years ago. As a consequence of the same, Pandya hasn’t bowled frequently in competitive cricket.

“The back is fine. It was jittery but I won’t be bowling for now. I want to be able to bowl eventually, closer to the knockouts. The professionals and I both have to take the call about when I can have a bowl,” Pandya answered when being asked if fans will get to see him bowl against Pakistan tonight.

In the last two years, Pandya has bowled in just six out of his 35 T20s picking four wickets at an average of 33.75, an economy rate of 7.11 and a strike rate of 28.50.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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