Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday broke his silence on when he would start bowling again. The all-rounder gave an optimistic update on his return ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Saturday.&nbsp;

Hardik returned to cricket after a long break due to back surgery, during last year's IPL, Mumbai Indians tried to manage his workload also. During a conversation with Star Sports before MI's match against Delhi Capitals, Pandya said, "Runs are important and especially when your team wins. It was important for my personal confidence but to score for the team was important. We have to assess the wicket and adapt on the given time."

He added, "The plans have to be simple and win over obstacles ball-by-ball. There's no option, but one thing is that these situations bring out the best in you. We realise it is a do-or-die game, but we are just focusing on the controllabes."

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Answering the question about bowling, Pandya said in Hindi, which is translated in English as: "I will bowl soon. Efforts are on." In a pre-match press conference on Friday, Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene seemed apprehensive of him bowling sooner and said, "Hardik might struggle with the bat if he pushes too hard to bowl in the ongoing IPL. Notably, ever since Hardik underwent back surgery, he has not been bowling regularly."&nbsp;

"Because he hasn't bowled since Sri Lanka, I think what we are trying to do is what's best for Hardik going forward. We are talking to Indian management, and make sure sooner he feels comfortable, we get him into his bowling programme and prepare him," Jayawardene further said.

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Pandya has not been given the ball in MI's first 11 games. He has also not been able to perform with the bat as per his standards. He has only scored 95 runs in 11 matches, 40 of them coming in the last match against Punjab Kings.

In their previous games, the Delhi Capitals had lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while the Mumbai Indians had defeated the Punjab Kings.&nbsp;

The Delhi Capitals, captained by Rishabh Pant, is at second position in the points table, while the Mumbai Indians are at sixth place.

Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday broke his silence on when he would start bowling again. The all-rounder gave an optimistic update on his return ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Saturday.

Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday broke his silence on when he would start bowling again. The all-rounder gave an optimistic update on his return ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Saturday. Hardik returned to cricket after a long break due to back surgery, during last year's IPL, Mumbai Indians tried to manage his workload also. During a conversation with Star Sports before MI's match against Delhi Capitals, Pandya said, "Runs are important and especially when your team wins. It was important for my personal confidence but to score for the team was important. We have to assess the wicket and adapt on the given time." He added, "The plans have to be simple and win over obstacles ball-by-ball. There's no option, but one thing is that these situations bring out the best in you. We realise it is a do-or-die game, but we are just focusing on the controllabes." Also read: 'The King Kong': India head Ravi Shastri calls MS Dhoni the greatest white-ball captain ever Answering the question about bowling, Pandya said in Hindi, which is translated in English as: "I will bowl soon. Efforts are on." In a pre-match press conference on Friday, Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene seemed apprehensive of him bowling sooner and said, "Hardik might struggle with the bat if he pushes too hard to bowl in the ongoing IPL. Notably, ever since Hardik underwent back surgery, he has not been bowling regularly." "Because he hasn't bowled since Sri Lanka, I think what we are trying to do is what's best for Hardik going forward. We are talking to Indian management, and make sure sooner he feels comfortable, we get him into his bowling programme and prepare him," Jayawardene further said. Also read: MS Dhoni knows Suresh Raina isn't performing well but he wouldn't replace him with someone else: Virender Sehwag Pandya has not been given the ball in MI's first 11 games. He has also not been able to perform with the bat as per his standards. He has only scored 95 runs in 11 matches, 40 of them coming in the last match against Punjab Kings. In their previous games, the Delhi Capitals had lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while the Mumbai Indians had defeated the Punjab Kings. The Delhi Capitals, captained by Rishabh Pant, is at second position in the points table, while the Mumbai Indians are at sixth place.

IPL 2021: Will Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya bowl soon? All-rounder answers the big question

Former Indian selector Sarandeep Singh was not surprised with the BCCI's decision to ignore Hardik Pandya in the 20-member squad for the WTC finals and England tour. he felt that Hardik could not have been added to the squad without being used as a bowler.

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"The selectors' decision to ignore Hardik for Tests is understandable. He has not been able bowl regularly after his surgery. I feel he has to bowl 10 overs in ODIs and four in T20s to be part of the playing XI even in shorter formats. He can't just play as a batsman," Sarandeep, a former India spinner, told PTI.

"If Hardik doesn't bowl, it disturbs the balance of the side hugely. You have to play an extra bowler because of that and someone like Suryakumar Yadav has to miss out. As we saw in the ODI series against England and Australia, we can't play with five bowling options," Sarandeep said.

He talked about the number of options Team India have for the all-rounders' spots.&nbsp;

"Then team now has other all-rounders in Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Jaddu is back, Shardul Thakur can also be an all-rounder, he has shown that. They all can do the job if Hardik can't bowl."

<h2>India Squad for WTC final vs New Zealand, and five-match Test Series vs England</h2>

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla

Former Indian selector Sarandeep Singh was not surprised with the BCCI's decision to ignore Hardik Pandya in the 20-member squad for the WTC finals and England tour.

Former Indian selector Sarandeep Singh was not surprised with the BCCI's decision to ignore Hardik Pandya in the 20-member squad for the WTC finals and England tour. he felt that Hardik could not have been added to the squad without being used as a bowler. ALSO READ: Official: Ramesh Powar appointed head coach of Indian women’s cricket team "The selectors' decision to ignore Hardik for Tests is understandable. He has not been able bowl regularly after his surgery. I feel he has to bowl 10 overs in ODIs and four in T20s to be part of the playing XI even in shorter formats. He can't just play as a batsman," Sarandeep, a former India spinner, told PTI. "If Hardik doesn't bowl, it disturbs the balance of the side hugely. You have to play an extra bowler because of that and someone like Suryakumar Yadav has to miss out. As we saw in the ODI series against England and Australia, we can't play with five bowling options," Sarandeep said. He talked about the number of options Team India have for the all-rounders' spots. "Then team now has other all-rounders in Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Jaddu is back, Shardul Thakur can also be an all-rounder, he has shown that. They all can do the job if Hardik can't bowl." India Squad for WTC final vs New Zealand, and five-match Test Series vs England India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance). Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla

'If Hardik doesn't bowl, it disturbs the balance': Sarandeep Singh

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England.&nbsp;

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Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was not given the ball in the ODI match against England. He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting."

"We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik

The prolific all-rounder underwent intense rehab after going through back surgery in September 2019. Despite being declared fit, Hardik's role was restricted to being a pure batsman, even for Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;

His bowling action had to be remodelled, however, is still not preferred to bowl for Team India. His brother, Krunal Pandya did not have a great outing with the ball in the second ODI against as the Baroda-based bowler conceded 72 runs in just 6 overs.&nbsp;

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that Team India can't use the left-arm spinner as their fifth bowling option.&nbsp;

Speaking on Star Sports after the match, Gavaskar said: "I will say the Indian bowling was probably a little weak because Krunal Pandya cannot be your fifth bowler, he cannot be a bowler who bowls 10 overs. You need a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal on such pitches, who can bowl 10 overs." 
&nbsp;

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England. ALSO READ: 'I felt like I was watching a computer game': Stuart Broad after England's big win against India Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was not given the ball in the ODI match against England. He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting." "We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik The prolific all-rounder underwent intense rehab after going through back surgery in September 2019. Despite being declared fit, Hardik's role was restricted to being a pure batsman, even for Mumbai Indians. His bowling action had to be remodelled, however, is still not preferred to bowl for Team India. His brother, Krunal Pandya did not have a great outing with the ball in the second ODI against as the Baroda-based bowler conceded 72 runs in just 6 overs. Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that Team India can't use the left-arm spinner as their fifth bowling option. Speaking on Star Sports after the match, Gavaskar said: "I will say the Indian bowling was probably a little weak because Krunal Pandya cannot be your fifth bowler, he cannot be a bowler who bowls 10 overs. You need a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal on such pitches, who can bowl 10 overs."

'We used him in the T20Is but it's...': Virat Kohli on whether Hardik will bowl in ODI series

Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries. Now, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Zaheer Khan has given an update on when fans can expect to see Hardik take the bowling duties in IPL 2020.&nbsp;

Hardik was out for a few months owing to a back injury and is slowly getting into the groove when it comes to top-level cricket. He has not yet been given the ball in MI’s first two matches against CSK and KKR. Giving an update on Hardik, Zaheer said that Hardik is expected to bowl sometime in IPL 2020 but added that everyone has to listen to his body.&nbsp;

The former Indian pacer further said that they in regular consultation with the physios about Hardik’s fitness.

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“We are all expecting him (Hardik) to bowl and he is someone who really changes that balance of any side when he is bowling and he understands that,” Zaheer said in Mumbai Indians’ pre-match conference.

“But we have to listen to his body and that is something the conversation which we have been having in consultation with the physios.

“We are looking forward for him to bowl, he is very keen and really wanting to bowl, we just have to wait and be patient and listen to his body. At the end of the day for any bowler injuries play a huge role,” he further said.

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Hardik has scored 18 and 14 in the last two matches against KKR and CSK respectively and Zaheer said that Mumbai Indians are happy to have Hardik Pandya as a batsman.

“We are happy that he is there as a batter and with full fitness contributing and that is the exciting part and hopefully you will see bowl soon,” Zaheer added.

MI take on RCB on Monday at the Dubai International Stadium. 
&nbsp;

Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries.

Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries. Now, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Zaheer Khan has given an update on when fans can expect to see Hardik take the bowling duties in IPL 2020. Hardik was out for a few months owing to a back injury and is slowly getting into the groove when it comes to top-level cricket. He has not yet been given the ball in MI’s first two matches against CSK and KKR. Giving an update on Hardik, Zaheer said that Hardik is expected to bowl sometime in IPL 2020 but added that everyone has to listen to his body. The former Indian pacer further said that they in regular consultation with the physios about Hardik’s fitness. ALSO READ: Australia's Alyssa Healy overtakes MS Dhoni for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20I “We are all expecting him (Hardik) to bowl and he is someone who really changes that balance of any side when he is bowling and he understands that,” Zaheer said in Mumbai Indians’ pre-match conference. “But we have to listen to his body and that is something the conversation which we have been having in consultation with the physios. “We are looking forward for him to bowl, he is very keen and really wanting to bowl, we just have to wait and be patient and listen to his body. At the end of the day for any bowler injuries play a huge role,” he further said. ALSO READ: IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP Preview: Can Smith & Co. continue their winning run? Hardik has scored 18 and 14 in the last two matches against KKR and CSK respectively and Zaheer said that Mumbai Indians are happy to have Hardik Pandya as a batsman. “We are happy that he is there as a batter and with full fitness contributing and that is the exciting part and hopefully you will see bowl soon,” Zaheer added. MI take on RCB on Monday at the Dubai International Stadium.

Will Hardik Pandya bowl for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020? Zaheer Khan provides an update