Virat Kohli reveals plans for Pandya at T20 WC; 'will let others bowl until Hardik is fit'

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday revealed his plan for Hardik Pandya ahead of the T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan. When asked if Hardik can be played as a pure batter, Kohli said the Baroda cricketer's prowess with the bat is such that his replacement "can't be created overnight". Kohli suggested Hardik's place at number six position in the playing XI is final and that he will most likely feature in Sunday's game against arch-rival Pakistan. Kohli said till the time Hardik becomes fully fit to bowl his full quota of overs, others will chip in for an over or two. 

"Honesty, I feel, Hardik presently with his physical condition is getting better in terms of being able to bowl two overs for us at a certain stage in this tournament," Kohli said in his pre-match press conference. 

"We have considered a couple of other options to chip in for an over or two. So we are not bothered at all. What he brings in at that spot is something that one can't create overnight. I was always in favour of backing him in Australia as a batter purely and we saw what he did and how he can take the game away from the opposition when he is in full flow," Kohli added. 

Kohli added that in T20 cricket it is important to have a player who can make an impact even when the team is not in a favourable position. Kohli said Hardik is eager to bowl a couple of overs for Team India, adding "then the balance becomes better". 

Hardik's injury

Hardik has not bowled regularly for India and his IPL side Mumbai Indians since he underwent back surgery in 2019. The Baroda cricketer had suffered a back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup following which he was bowling in patches to keep himself fit for the 2019 World Cup. After the World Cup, Hardik went under the knife in the United Kingdom and started his rehabilitation to gain his strength back. However, before Hardik could recover fully, he sustained another injury on his shoulder in 2020 and was ruled out from bowling in order to gain full recovery. 

Image: HardikPandya/Twitter