New Delhi: As India starts to gear up for the T20 World Cup 2022, starting next month in Australia, the country is counting highly on Hardik Pandya to carry on with his sublime form.
The 28-year-old was almost out of the management’s plans after the team’s exit from the T20 World Cup in 2021. The all-rounder’s acute back ache restricted him from bowling with the same efficiency and that affected the balance of the side last year in the UAE.
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But once Pandya came back to India, he took himself away from the spotlight and decided to start everything again. He landed in Bengaluru and underwent a thorough rehabilitation regime. And then came the IPL 2022 which saw a new version of Hardik. A calm and collected Pandya was in action who wasn’t just scoring runs but also bowling his full quota of overs and picking up wickets.
Hardik Pandya managed to carry his great form since then, producing multiple match-winnings performances in the past 3-4 months. He has also been playing the role of a finisher very well and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is quite impressed with the Indian all-rounder.
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Shahid Afridi says Pakistan needs a Hardik Pandya
During a chat show, the 42-year-old stated that Pakistan are lacking a finisher of Hardik Pandya’s abilities.
“We require a player like Hardik Pandya. A player who is reliable, who comes down the order, bowls crucial overs, and finishes the match with the bat. Do you think there is any player in the Pakistan team who is taking responsibility for finishing the matches with the bat,” said Afridi.
“We thought Asif Ali, and Khushdil will do the job but they haven’t. Nawaz is also not that consistent, and neither is Shadab. Among these four players, at least two need to be consistent. The period in which Shadab bowls is very crucial. The day he does a good job with the ball, Pakistan wins,” he added.
