IPL 2021: "We should see him bowl in the next few weeks" - Mahela Jayawardene on Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians (MI)'s head coach Mahela Jayawardene has said that all-rounder Hardik Pandya could start bowling in the next few weeks.

Hardik Pandya has hardly bowled since making his return to international cricket following his back surgery in 2019. He bowled a few overs against England but hasn’t done so for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021 so far.

At a virtual press conference, Mahela Jayawardene said that MI are hesitant to rush Pandya into bowling, considering his recent injuries, saying:

"In his last ODI series against England, Hardik picked up a niggle. We don't want to risk an injury with him bowling. He's being assessed currently, and we should see him bowl over the next few weeks".

Despite Pandya not bowling, MI have been impressive with the ball in their last two matches, getting the better of KKR and SRH with some excellent death bowling. Mahela Jayawardene said that the presence of match-winning bowlers is a massive plus for the team, saying in this regard:

“I can’t go into too much details regarding the planning. The bowling unit is something that we are very focused on. Bowlers win championships, and we have worked so hard over the years to create that culture in the set-up. You need to have attacking options in all conditions, the quality and skills to execute certain gameplans in certain conditions against certain opponents".

Mahela Jayawardene further said about MI’s bowling arsenal:

“Our batting line-up is capable of doing special things. But when you add a bowling line-up that can complement that, it’s always going to be tough for the opponents. Having guys like Jasprit (Bumrah) and Krunal (Pandya), who are seasoned campaigners, and then there is Trent Boult, who has amazing skills. Add to that, Rahul Chahar, who comes in and has a fearless attitude. There are some things we cannot plan. These are skills which individuals have, and we let them express them out in the middle".

Every year, we see improvement in Rahul Chahar: Mahela Jayawardene

Young leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has been among the bowling heroes for MI, claiming seven wickets in two games in IPL 2021. Praising the young Chahar for his consistent exploits, Mahela Jayawardene said:

“Rahul has been quite consistent for us in the last three years. He was quite raw when we started playing him. He had a breakthrough season in 2019. Last season, he had his ups and downs. He wasn’t consistent in execution. But every year, we see improvement in Rahul. He’s still a young player, and he is still learning, getting challenged by different oppositions everyday".

After winning two of their first three games, Mumbai Indians will next face the Delhi Capitals in Chennai on Tuesday.