Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Somebody like a Hardik Pandya adds a lot of balance to any side he is part of. However, ever since he has been battling injury concerns, there has been concern over his workload management and the fact that whether he would be able to bowl or not. While Hardik wasn't part of the Playing XI in the MI's first few fixtures in the UAE leg, ever since he came back, he hasn't rolled his arms over.
The eyes are also on Hardik's bowling since he is expected to play a key role in India's T20 World Cup campaign beginning later in October. Before the start of Mumbai's match against Delhi Capitals, Hardik hinted that he would be back to bowling pretty soon.
We have to assess the wicket and adapt on the given time: Hardik
"Runs are important and especially when your team wins. It was important (runs against Punjab Kings in the last match) for my personal confidence but to score for the team was important. We have to assess the wicket and adapt on the given time," Hardik told broadcasters Star Sports ahead of the match as quoted in an ANI report.
"The plans have to be simple and win over obstacles ball-by-ball. There's no option, but one thing is that these situations bring out the best in you. We realise it is a do-or-die game, but we are just focusing on the controllable," he added.
While commenting on when can one see him roll his arms over, Hardik simply replied by an epic one-liner in Hindi.
"Aayega jaldi. Koshish poori hai," he said which roughly translates to "I will bowl soon. Efforts are on."
Talking about the match, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant has won the toss and opted to field first. While Delhi have sealed a place for themselves in the Playoffs, Mumbai still have a lot of work to do before they can reach the final four.
Both the teams have made a change to their lineups. While Delhi have replaced Lalit Yadav with Prithvi Shaw who missed out on the last match with an injury, Mumbai have brought in Jayant Yadav instead of Rahul Chahar.
It would be interesting to see whether Hardik bowls when the Mumbai Indians try and defend their score later in the evening.