T20 World Cup 2021: Hardik Pandya Confirms He Won't Be Bowling Today vs Pakistan, Reveals Whether He'll Bowl Later In The Tournament

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya revealed that he’s still attaining complete match fitness and will bowl once the medical team deems him to be fit enough. As a result, he will not be bowling in India’s crucial match against Pakistan tonight.

The 27-year-old cricketer from Baroda has had issues with his back for quite a while. He didn’t bowl a single delivery during the IPL 2021 second leg and also played as a batsman only in the warmup matches. Speaking in the lead up to the match against Pakistan, Hardik said:

“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.“

“We leave emotions out of the way and keep things professional” – Hardik Pandya

Speaking on the high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, Hardik stated that he deals with the situation by keeping social media at an arm’s length. The clash between the two sides usually escalates emotions but the players try to keep it professional.

“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,” he further added.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and chose to field at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Indian team decided to give Varun Chakravarthy his first match in a World Cup in the place of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Also Read – T20 World Cup 2021: Michael Vaughan Says Pakistan Can Beat Anyone In These Conditions; Picks His Winner From The India-Pakistan Match