What does Hardik Pandya the bowler do for India’s chances in the T20 World Cup?
India’s Hardik Pandya reacts after dismissing Pakistan’s Shadab Khan during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Hardik Pandya is a confident bowler, at times seemingly more confident than his bowling seems to warrant – like he did this IPL bowling himself ahead of Jasprit Bumrah in the initial games. It didn’t quite work on those batting beauts. His bowling is also such that one can’t still go into a game fully confident that he will come unscathed or that he can slip in his full four-overs quota. But his innate confidence in his own abilities can be seen most times. Especially if the tracks offer something to the seamers – then his nipbackers get more potent – or if they are two-faced as they have been in the US – then his back-of-length deliveries come at unpredictable pace to handcuff the free flow of the bat swings. (READ MORE)