Hours before Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) could lock horns for the IPL 2020 final, MI skipper Rohit Sharma said that all-rounder Hardik Pandya has got "some niggle" and was not comfortable bowling in the 13th season of the tournament.
Hardik is currently one of the best all-rounders the Indian team has produced in the modern era. He is an explosive batsman who can change the stage of the match. Meanwhile with the ball, Hardik has the ability to break partnerships and trouble batsmen in the middle.
Pandya, who had suffered a back injury in 2019 due to which he had to undergo surgery. Ever after his return, Pandya has not bowled but has been used only as a batsman by the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Meanwhile, replying to a question posed by Hindustan Times at the virtual pre-match press conference, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma explained why the franchise is not looking to use Pandya as a bowler in the final.
“No, look. We’ve had his assessment after every 3-4 games. We’ve spoken to him about what he wants to do. He’s not comfortable at the moment to bowl. We’ve left all the decision on him. If he feels comfortable, he will be happy to bowl. At the moment, he’s not feeling comfortable,” Rohit Sharma explained.
“He’s got some niggle going. It would have been great to have him bowl. Throughout this season we have given him that cushion of being in that comfort zone and making sure that he takes care of his body and he has done that really well. We don’t want to put that pressure on individuals where we are expecting something from him and he is not able to do it and the team morale goes down. We don’t want that situation,” Rohit added.
However, Rohit has acknowledged the role Pandya has played with the bat in MI’s campaign so far. “Hardik to us is very important as a player. His batting has been really key for us in making it to the final. So, as long as he bats, I am happy,” Rohit signed off.
Rohit Sharma stressed that the Mumbai Indians management does not want players to feel the pressure of being asked to do something which they are not comfortable doing.
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