Hardik Pandya has resumed practice, is bowling well: Gujarat Titans’ coach Aashish Kapoor

Hardik Pandya’s longstanding back issue has kept him away from bowling action for the larger part of the last year and a half. However, Pandya, who will be seen leading one of the new IPL franchises Gujarat Titans, is learnt to have started bowling in the nets ahead of the upcoming 15th edition, which is likely to start in the last week of March.

Pandya underwent back surgery in October 2019, after which he bowled only sporadically. The last he bowled for India in an international game was against Afghanistan during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. However, between his surgery and the T20 World Cup, he could hardly contribute to either India or Mumbai Indians, his previous IPL team, as an all-rounder, playing instead as a pure batter.

In the T20 World Cup, he bowled only four overs across two games despite playing all five of India’s Super12 league fixtures before they took an exit, while the last he bowled in IPL was in May 2019. Pandya’s inclusion in any team as only a batter has often upset the balance, and it was due to this reason his selection in India’s T20 World Cup squad drew severe flak from all corners.

Following that, Pandya reportedly asked selectors to keep him out of selection contention in a bid to focus on regaining bowling fitness. Meanwhile, there are signs of him resuming all-rounder duties as per Gujarat Titans’ spin bowling coach Aashish Kapoor.

Hardik has started to bowl, he is bowling well: Ashish Kapoor

“Last two months I have been in Bahrain, I was coaching the National team over there. So, Nehra has been in constant touch with him from the time we have retained him and Nehra has been talking to him. He has also spoken about how to arrange and where to arrange practice sessions for him and get those things done,” Kapoor was quoted by ndtv.com.

“Asking him to play a few Ranji Trophy games before he turns up for a camp which may be with some point in March may be in Mid-March. So, he has been also starting to bowl that’s what he has told Nehra. He has started to bowl, he is bowling well and batting he has no problems in any case because mainly we want to know whether he can bowl for us like how in the Indian team.

“So, if he can bowl and bat both it is an added advantage because there are not too many all-rounders in India (medium pace all-rounders). He is the only one that you can think of at the moment so if you have that all-rounder with you then I think you are on the plus side,” he added.