T20 World Cup 2021: Hardik Pandya Not Bowling Will Not Impact India's Chances – Kapil Dev

Legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev has opined that Hardik Pandya not bowling for India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will not impact India’s chances of winning the World Cup.

Hardik Pandya who has been named in India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad as an all-rounder, has not bowled for quite some time now. In his recent IPL stint with Mumbai Indians (MI), Hardik played a pure batsman in the team. Also in the recent warmup game against England, the 28-year-old didn’t bowl.

Speaking to Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat, Kapil Dev stated that Hardik’s inability to bowl will not impact India’s chances in the world cup, but it will make a difference when it comes to bowling options available for the skipper Virat Kohli. The World Cup-winning captain said:

“An all-rounder always makes a massive difference to a team. Hardik not bowling will not impact India’s chances, but it will make a difference in terms of Kohli’s options. If an all-rounder is available for both (batting and bowling), it enhances the captain’s ability to rotate bowlers and gives him the extra option to fall back on.“

Former Indian all-rounder further added that two of the all-time greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, had the capability to bowl a few overs, and they provided good balance in the team. Dev also mentioned that if Hardik bowls even 2 overs in World Cup, it will provide India great stability. Kapil Dev stated:

“When Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were playing, they could have bowled 2 out of 4 overs, the captain had an extra person to consider if one of the bowlers got hit and it made his job easier. If Hardik can bowl even 2 overs, it gives India that much more balance.”

In Hardik’s Case, India Should Be Okay Given The Talent In The Team – Kapil Dev

The former Indian captain feels that injuries do hamper players abilities, but without any practice in the nets, it is not possible to have the confidence back. He said:

“If you are able to bowl 40-50 balls in the nets, it builds up the confidence in any player to bowl in a match, otherwise it is that much more difficult to be fully committed. If you don’t practice in the nets, you won’t have confidence in your bowling. Any type of injury hampers a player’s ability.”

Kapil Dev feels that Hardik bowling a few overs will give India flexibility, but he also reckons that Virat Kohli-led India has firepower in the team to make up for Hardik’s deficiency in the team. He elaborated:

“In Hardik’s case, India should be okay given the talent in the team, but him bowling even 2 overs will obviously lend more flexibility. That said, I believe India does have the firepower in the team to make up for the deficiency.”

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