Paras Mhambrey on Will Hardik Pandya to bowl IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup| IPL in UAE| Latest IPL News| T20 World Cup 2021|

New Delhi: Fast bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is slowly regaining fitness, should be able to bowl in the T20 World Cup with the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 starting next month. This is to say of Paras Mhambrey, who was India’s bowling coach during the limited overs series in Sri Lanka and who is monitoring Hardik’s fitness for the World Cup.

Mhambrey is the bowling coach at NCA

Mhambrey has served as the bowling coach of India-A and is also the bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Pandya and other Indian bowlers are recovering right here. Paras said it is important to manage Pandya’s workload in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during October-November, immediately after the IPL.

‘Proceeding slowly with Hardik’

Paras said, “With Hardik, we are clearly taking it slow. I am not going to pressure him in terms of number of overs. There’s a lot of eye on him as to how much we’re going to push him. We have to build up gradually. Knowing that he is going to play a very important role for us, it is important for him to manage his bowling workload very well.

Mhambrey told IANS, “We know his batting that he offers you. But if we add bowling to it, it brings a different dimension. In that sense we are working on it. Everyone – the strength and conditioning department and the physio – is in the works and we have discussed it.’ The right-arm pacer, who has been troubled by a back injury for the past few years, has not been a part of India’s Test match squad due to his inability to bowl.

Hardik bowled in Sri Lanka

Although he bowled in the recent bilateral limited overs series in Sri Lanka in July, he could not meet his full quota in any match. He bowled 14 overs in three ODIs and took two wickets at an average of 48.5. Also, two overs in one T20I were in the name of Hardik. Against England in March, he had bowled 17 overs in five T20Is, taking three wickets and conceding 6.94 runs per over, the second best for both sides behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

He could complete his quota of four overs in three out of five matches. Pandya also bowled in the third and final ODI against England and was economical in nine overs at 5.33 runs per over. But India will need him to deliver their full quota of overs in the entire T20 World Cup.

‘Will definitely bowl in IPL’

The 49-year-old former India pacer Mhambrey said the Indian Premier League (IPL) will ultimately decide Pandya’s availability for the T20 World Cup. It will be up to his franchise Mumbai Indians how to use him. “Yes, the way I look at him and the way I feel, I am sure he will bowl in the IPL,” Mhambrey said. The first step is IPL. Maybe the franchisees will decide how they will use it.