HIGHLIGHTS

• Hardik Pandya said his bowling depends on his fitness
• Pandya has bowled sporadically since returning from a back injury in 2019
• He won man of the series in India’s T20I series win over Australia in December

Hardik Pandya has revealed that he will be looking to bowl in all the games of the T20 World Cup this year. Pandya has been bowling sporadically since his return from a back injury in 2019.

Pandya said that getting back to full fitness has been a gradual process and he hopes it will culminate in him getting back to bowling full tilt at the World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in October and November this year.

For me, I want to make sure, and I will be able to, that I bowl in all the games of the (T20) World Cup. I am just trying to be smart and make sure that I don’t miss that. My full focus is on the World Cup,” Pandya said on TOI Sportscast.

The 27-year-old has put up a few dazzling displays with the bat, notably winning the Man of the Series award in India’s T20I series win over Australia away from home in December. He said that his bowling depends on how fit he is.

“Yes, on the bowling front, what matters is how fit I am. Even after my surgery, I didn’t drop my pace. My bowling is related to my fitness. The fitter I get, the better it comes out. Whenever I play, I don’t want to play at 50 per cent. (When) I play, I will play at 100 per cent,” he said.