All-rounder Hardik Pandya is going through a remarkable phase of his cricketing career. Until last year, his position in the team was a matter of debate as he was dealing with a severe backache that restricted him from bowling full throttle. He was named in the T20 World Cup 2021 squad as the selectors hoped that he would regain his fitness, but he couldn’t. Following India’s exit from the tournament, he took some time off and underwent a rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Four months later, he was back in the IPL as the captain of newly-introduced franchise Gujarat Titans. The fans were witnessing a brand-new version of the Hardik Pandya who was scoring fifties, bowling a full 4-over quota, and taking wickets.
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Following a victorious IPL season and a successful Ireland tour, Pandya is being seen as a potential future captain of India. But before that, the in-form all-rounder will compete in the game against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday in Dubai.
While Hardik is expected to carry his good game against the arch-rivals, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the 28-year-old is at the peak of his form and likely to play well against spin bowling.
“Hardik Pandya has a pretty good record against Pakistan. If you remember the 2019 World Cup as well, he was the one who got runs in that match against Pakistan. Hardik Pandya, at the moment, is batting like a dream,” Manjrekar said during an interview on the Sports 18 show ‘Sports Over the Top’.
“His (Pandya’s) prowess against pace and spin is there for everyone to see. Shadab Khan is a pretty competitive bowler. He is not the traditional wrist-spinner that you get; he doesn’t turn the ball massively but has the guiles that you need in T20 cricket.
“He (Shadab) is also now more experienced than he was say, three-four years back. But Hardik at the moment, as I said, is at the top of his game. So Shadab Khan – despite being a pretty good bowler – Hardik Pandya should be able to manage him,” he added.
Manjrekar further said Pandya isn’t a good player of pace bowling but he reads leg-spinner pretty well, adding that the latter can trouble Shadab Khan.
“He (Pandya) is not somebody who is good against pace when the ball is coming onto the bat, but against spin, you can have him. I think he reads a leg-spinner pretty well. So it shouldn’t be a problem for Hardik,” Manjrekar further said.
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