Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels that Hardik Pandya is one of the best pace-bowling all-rounders going around in the white-ball format of the game and urged him to bowl more overs for the Indian team going into the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.
Hardik Pandya has been an X-factor player for the Indian tea in white-ball cricket, as the all-rounder gives a proper 6th bowling option in the team, who can provide vital breakthroughs with the new ball and old ball for the team alongside his batting for the Men in Blue in the lower-down the order.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra has discussed the stats of Hardik Pandya in the last year in the 50-over format of the game as he picked up wickets in almost every game in the ODI cricket and expects him to bowl more in the forthcoming games for India and reckons that he is one of the best business for India in terms of his all-round abilities.
“Hardik Pandya – he has played eight ODIs if we talk about the last one year. He has scored 198 runs, including a half-century, and picked up nine wickets. So he takes nearly a wicket a game and has bowled 44 overs. So he hasn’t bowled even six overs per game, which is not a great thing.”
“If you see from India’s viewpoint, you expect more bowling from him or you need more from him. So, he is given the new ball at times. He has played 215 balls, so he plays 25-30 balls per match. He is doing a job, which is not a bad thing at all. So his name should be there in the all-rounders’ list,” Aakash Chopra said.
Hardik Pandya had a poor show against West Indies in the white-ball series and would look to turn things for India in the upcoming events. The 29-year-old offers proper balance in this Indian team as his form with both bat and ball will be crucial for the Indian team going into the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.
The Continental event will be played in a 50-over format from August 31st to September 17th, which has grouped India and Pakistan with Nepal. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are included in the other group.