Excited at the prospect of Hardik Pandya's return: Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel, a former India wicketkeeper, reckons that India’s Twenty20 International (T20I) team would look more balanced if all-rounder Hardik Pandya can complete his bowling quota of four overs. Hardik, in recent times, has also been lauded for his all-round performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 final, which helped his team Gujarat Titans (GT) win the title.

Hardik has been picked for the Indian team that will play against South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home beginning on June 9 (Thursday), but his role in the team remains uncertain. Patel said that he is “excited” to see Hardik Pandya back with the national team after having a successful season with GT. 

Another thing to look forward to is how many overs will Hardik Pandya bowl: Patel

Hardik, in the IPL 2022 final against Rajasthan Royals (RR), picked up three wickets for only 17 runs and also scored a crucial 34 runs while chasing 131, earning himself the Player of the Match award. He did not play in India’s previous match against Sri Lanka in March after Venkatesh Iyer donned the role of the all-rounder in the team.

The Titans skipper bowled only 183 deliveries in the IPL 2022 but picked up eight wickets with a respectable economy rate of 7.28, in addition to his 487 runs with the bat at an average of 44.27. Patel, speaking about Hardik’s bowling, said that another thing to look forward to is how many overs would the all-rounder be bowling. He added that even though he did not bowl in all IPL games this season, he was sensational with the ball in the final.

“Another thing to look forward to is how many overs will Pandya be bowling. He did not bowl in all games of the IPL but was sensational in the final. If he is fit enough to bowl all of his four overs, then the balance of the Indian team will look even better,” said Patel, as quoted by Sportskeeda. “Excited at the prospect of Hardik Pandya’s return. He performed and led GT well in the IPL and he brings a different kind of balance when he comes to the Indian team. Also excited to see where he will play in the batting order.”