Experience and honesty within our core bowling group: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya expressed a lot of confidence in the Indian bowling department to deliver during the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. Led by Jasprit Bumrah, India are one of the prime bowling units at the World Cup, something Pandya attributed to the experience, intensity and honesty within the core group.

India began their T20 World Cup campaign with a win against Ireland on a drop-in pitch that witnessed variable bounce and extra seam movement.

“We were told today that within the group we have 892 T20 games, that’s a lot of games.

“So we have a lot of experience, especially in bowling where we have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, who is the number one bowler by far. We have (Mohammed) Siraj, who has been tremendous in recent years,” Pandya said during a chat with the BCCI.TV.

The feeling of starting on a winning note 😃

Backing his skill-sets and potential 👌

Being part of an experienced bowling lineup 👏

Post-win chat with #TeamIndia vice-captain Hardik Pandya 👌👌 - By @RajalArora

WATCH 🎥🔽 #T20WorldCup | #INDvIRE | @hardikpandya7

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2024

“We are very happy and very pleased to the kind of start on a good note. It’s very, very important for the rhythm because once the tournament has started, it goes on,” Hardik said.

“It feels very good when you work hard and kind of get some success, and at the same point of time, it’s quite exciting to play here (in America).”

After the 8-wicket win, Indian cricket team’s batting coach Vikram Rathour said Pandya was ready to bowl four overs in a match, and the 30-year-old all-rounder, who has been dogged by chronic injuries, said he was focussed on the job at hand.

“Everything falls into place for people who work hard. And go and spend a lot of time within yourself, identify who you are, back yourself because you know, Hardik at 30 is a much easier job at Hardik at 60,” he said.

“From those days, these days are much, much better, try to find out what exactly are you are trying to figure it out in your skill sets especially. That’s why I just went, bowled a lot of overs, batted a lot of balls, so in that scenario you realise your potential slowly, and that was my focus,” Hardik said.

Pandya is looking forward to India’s big-ticket game against Pakistan on Sunday. “India-Pakistan has always been very exciting, lot of cheer and buzz, a lot of emotion and a lot of excitement but at the same time, I hope we will be disciplined in that game, one goal as a group is we go and kind of hunt.

“So, if we can do that, I think it will be a one more nice day for us,” Hardik said.