IPL 2021: "We are balancing the needs of Team India" - MI bowling coach Shane Bond gives update on Hardik Pandya's fitness

Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling coach Shane Bond has given an update on Hardik Pandya's fitness. Bond said Pandya has been out of action in IPL 2021's UAE leg because the franchise is "balancing" their needs with those of Team India, who also want the all-rounder to be fit for their T20 World Cup campaign in late October.

Shane Bond insisted that Hardik Pandya is training well "on all counts" and might return to the playing XI on Sunday when MI take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.

"Look, Hardik is training well like Rohit. He trained today and is getting closer to playing. We are obviously balancing the needs of our team with the needs of Team India as well. The one thing this franchise does really well is look after its players. We are not only trying to win this competition but also have an eye on the World Cup. We are hoping Hardik will be back for the next match and as I said, he trained today and trained pretty well on all counts." Bond said in a press conference on Thursday.

Shane Bond's remarks came shortly after MI's heavy defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Hardik Pandya's absence was felt in both this match and the earlier game against Chennai Super Kings, where MI struggled with their fifth bowling option and lower order.

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Hardik Pandya hasn't played international cricket since India's tour of Sri Lanka, where he bowled only a few overs. As for the T20 World Cup squad, he's expected to be one of the first names to be picked in the XI against Pakistan on October 24. India will also expect him to be fit enough to bowl four overs and play as the third seamer in the lineup.

"No hard directive from BCCI on Hardik Pandya" - Shane Bond

Shane Bond also denied the notion of a "hard directive" from the BCCI to preserve Hardik Pandya for the first few games. Instead, the former Kiwi pacer said both MI and Pandya are desperate to see him play, but that the franchise doesn't want to "rush" him into playing and risk a major injury before the playoffs.

"There's no hard directive. I think one thing you want to do with the key players in your team is look after them. We are obviously desperate to put him back out on the field and he was desperate to play out tonight as well but you have to balance everything up, you have to consider what the player wants and one thing our franchise does is look after its players. There's also no point in rushing him back to get injured and miss the rest of the tournament when we may have a chance to win it. I think we're doing the right thing as I said, hopefully we will get him back shortly and he'll get us back into the tournament, help us into the playoffs and hopefully win the tournament," signed off Shane Bond.

MI have slipped to sixth place in the points table and now need to win most of their remaining five matches to qualify for the playoffs. If there was ever a time to bring Hardik Pandya back to their team, it's now.