Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra a lot of eyes will be the of the Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder, Hardik Pandya when the team will be taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season, on September 19. Nehra said Hardik’s form has been a bit up and down and the all-rounder will have to step up to provide the defending champions with the X-factor in the UAE.

Hardik Pandya did not bowl for his franchise during the first leg of IPL 2021 in April-May as he gave himself more time to recover from a back injury. However, Hardik rolled his arm over for India in a T20I series against England earlier this year. He began bowling more regularly when India toured Sri Lanka in July before he missed the last couple of games of the series due to the Covid-19 scare.

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Hardik’s batting form has also taken a dip. The India all-rounder managed to score just 52 runs from 7 matches in the first half of IPL 2021. The hard-hitting cricketer failed to get going during the Sri Lanka tour as well. However, India has shown faith in Hardik, picking him as part of the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup.

Talking bout the same during a chat on Cricbuzz, Ashish Nehra said, “Everyone has their eyes on him [Hardik Pandya]. I am not saying that he must always bowl all four overs, but if he can complement Kieron Pollard and bowl a couple of overs, that will be a huge plus for the team.”

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He further added, “With the bat, he is an impact player. His form has been fluctuating over the last year, but he is a player who can change things quickly. So, Mumbai Indians would really want him to fire.”