‘India's chances in T20 World Cup will get doubled if Hardik Pandya is fit’: Saba Karim

Hardik Pandya will be in action during the Sri Lanka-India white-ball series.

Hardik Pandya is currently in Sri Lanka and is one of the senior-most players in the new-look Indian team. He is expected to play the role of the finisher in the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He is also expected to bowl a few overs in the series and put his fitness to the test.   

Hardik Pandya provides balance to team India in the limited over formats. However, injury concerns have restricted his bowling abilities which have forced team India to play with five bowlers and no extra bowling options in recent times.

Saba Karim, the former India cricketer, has said that it will not be easy for Hardik Pandya to perform in Sri Lanka as the pitches will be similar to Chennai. Notably, Hardik Pandya failed to create an impact in IPL while playing at the Chepauk Stadium.

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“The Sri Lanka tour will be challenging for Hardik Pandya as a batsman because he was struggling on the slow Chennai pitches during the IPL. He will get similar wickets in Sri Lanka, so whether he can score runs at a good strike rate in such challenging conditions in white-ball cricket,” Saba Karim said to India News.

Saba Karim went on to say that India's chances will get doubled if Hardik Pandya is fully fit. 

“The biggest thing is that India's chances in the T20 World Cup will get doubled if Hardik Pandya is fit. If he can both bowl and bat throughout the tournament, I feel India's chances are extremely bright,” he continued.

“Secondly, it is dependent on the Indian team management, both the one in England and the one in Sri Lanka currently, on how he is treated from here till the World Cup, how his workload is managed as he will regain his strength slowly,” he concluded.