IPL 2022 – “Don’t Think Will See Him As A Bowler Again:” Ex-RCB Captain Makes Big Claim About Hardik Pandya’s Remaining IPL 2022 Season

Hardik Pandya’s recurring injuries, and subsequent slow recovery, had left him only half the player that he once was in the last one year. After the allrounder’s inability to bowl due to injury in the 2021 T20 World Cup cost Indian cricket team dear, Pandya was dropped from the national team. However, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Pandya – the bowler – made a comeback. He bowled in the first five matches before a groin injury forced him to miss a game against Chennai Super Kings.

Since coming back, however, Pandya has not bowled an over. Daniel Vettori, former Royal Challengers Bangalore and New Zealand captain, feels that Pandya may not bowl again in the IPL 2022.

“I don’t think we will see him as a bowler again (in the IPL). I think he is just too important as a batsman and as a captain. And the concern about him missing games for the sake of one or two overs… I think they have selected a team now to not worry about his bowling,” Vettori, former New Zealand captain who has also played for a long time in the IPL, told ESPNCricinfo.

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Before the fresh injury derailed Pandya’s progress, he bowled 18.3 overs and took four wickets. He had a more telling impact with the bat for Gujarat Titans, currently the no. 1 team in the table with 12 points. In six matches, Pandya has 295 tallied runs including three half-centuries to be their top-scorer.

“They have relied a lot on Hardik and not for his bowling but for his batting. If you are in Gujarat Titans team dressing room, you would be little worried about that,” Ravi Shastri, former India coach, told ESPNCricinfo.