Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has opined that Hardik Pandya needs to start bowling regularly in order to create a balance for the Indian team as he will give the side a lot of depth going into the T20 World Cup. Notably, Pandya has not been bowling due to a back injury for which he also underwent surgery in 2020.

However, Hardik Pandya spoke about returning to bowling in teh near future ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. In fact, the lack of a fast-bowling all-rounder turned out to be quite critical as India lost the inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton.

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Talking about the same in the latest video on his Youtube channel, Aakash Chopra said, “He will have to start bowling now. He bowled a few overs in Australia, then you played against England and in the IPL. You didn’t bowl for your team in the IPL as well. It’s been a very patchy kind of ride.”

He further added, “You were looking at him for Test cricket but he is not available for you there as well because he is not bowling. When you look at it from that vantage point, there is only one player like Hardik Pandya, he provides balance. Hardik Pandya as a fast-bowling all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja as a spinning all-rounder, and Washington Sundar with them, it becomes a superb team.”

Aakash Chopra said that the MI all-rounder has the ability of bowling somewhere around eight overs in ODIs and looks to complete his quota in the T20s.

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Chopra explained, “Six to eight (overs) and bowls his full quota in T20s, full overs in the IPL and then definitely in the World Cup because Hardik Pandya bowling makes it easier for India to get the right balance.”