Hardik Pandya Does a Virat Kohli; Reaches Barabati Stadium First to Prepare For 1st T20I: REPORT

Ind vs SA: Like Virat Kohli did ahead of the ODI series, he reached Ranchi first and practiced alone. Now, allrounder Hardik Pandya, who is coming off a rehab - reached Bhubaneshwar first and did a session all on his one to prepare better for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa as per a report on TOI. Pandya is coming off a quadricep injury, which he picked up during the Asia Cup in Dubai. As per reports, the rest of the Indian team reached the city on Sunday evening and will have just one training session on Monday before the first game on Tuesday. 

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Pandya Trains Solo

After doing some stretching, Pandya did a few laps before rolling his arms over. He bowled for about 20 minutes after which he was spotted getting a back massage. This shows he is taking a lot of care of his body. He looked in good shape which is something that would bring relief for his fans. Pandya, the match-winner, has featured in two Syed Mushtaq Ali games where he bowled and batted well. He scored 77 not out and 10 respectively against Punjab and Gujarat. He would be raring to go and make his presence felt in the side. 

Pandya seemed to be in a good state of mind which augurs well for the side which is coming off a 2-1 win in the recently-concluded ODI series. 

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With the T20I World Cup round the corner, Pandya fitness could very well decide India's fortunes at the mega event. The WC takes place early next year in India, Sri Lanka.