While it’s too early to analyse the lack of combinations that could hurt teams as IPL 14 progresses, one thing Mumbai Indians will desperately hope for is that Hardik Pandya starts bowling on a regular basis.
Pandya, who’s workload has been managed since he returned to action after back surgery, didn’t bowl in MI’s defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opener in Chennai on Friday. Skipper Rohit Sharma didn’t even have an extra bowling option. Kieron Pollard has bowled this season, but wasn’t used.
If Pandya bowls regularly, MI will have an additional option, especially if one of the regular bowlers has an off day. Against RCB, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar conceded 10.75 run per over in his four overs. Had Pandya been available, Sharma could have rotated his bowlers.
Zaheer Khan, MI Director of Cricket Operations, said Pandya not bowling was part of his workload management. “He bowled in the whole series against England (in T20s), that’s why in consultation with the physios we had to take that approach,” the former India pacer said on Monday.
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Pandya also had a shoulder niggle on Friday and mostly threw underarm in the game. Khan said it was just a niggle. “In terms of Hardik the bowler coming into the tournament, we are very confident he will be chipping in with the ball as well,” he said.
Sunday’s Kolkata Knight Riders versus Sunrisers Hyderabad game was a good example of how useful a sixth bowling option of repute, preferably a batting all-rounder, can be. KKR skipper Eoin Morgan had an option of using Harbhajan Singh or Andre Russell in the final overs. Morgan opted for Russell, who conceded just 17 runs in the two overs he bowled in the death—and took the wicket of Vijay Shankar to win the game for KKR.
Though Pollard too is a pace bowling option, his numbers are nowhere near Pandya’s. Since 2016, Pollard has bowled only 28 overs—21 in the last IPL where his economy rate was 9.04. In two series after IPL—against New Zealand and Sri Lanka—he wasn’t that great.
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Khan though is confident. “He (Pollard) is an experienced campaigner, so he definitely is going to be our sixth bowling option; and whenever Hardik is available, he is going to be our bowling option as well. In that department we are not very concerned. You have to just adapt and adjust,” said Khan.
While Pandya the batsman has grown IN leaps and bounds so has Pandya the bowler. In the 2019 and 2018 editions, he took 14 and 18 wickets respectively.
Pandya bowled for the first time since surgery in the second ODI in Sydney against Australia, returning figures of 4-0-24-1. But he didn’t bowl in the T20 series that followed. He then bowled in all five T20s against England at home and was impressive. In that series, he also showed he can be a good option bowling in the death. Before IPL, he bowled nine overs in the last ODI against England.
Chris Lynn, who made his debut for MI, in a post-match press conference on Friday spoke of Pandya’s value as a bowler.
“He is a huge factor with the bat but if he gets bowling, it adds another dimension to the team. We might have missed the sixth bowler tonight, but it’s early in the tournament. I do believe if Hardik is bowling, then it brings out confidence in his batting as well. Fingers crossed, we’ll see him with the ball sooner than later,” said Lynn, who scored a 35-ball 49.
MI managed without Pandya’s bowling to win IPL 2020. They will hope he is fit enough bowl in this challenging season.
