Hardik Pandya bowled at the India nets on Wednesday after going through fitness drills focusing on strength and physical conditioning. He participated entirely as a batsman in India’s World T20 opener against Pakistan. On Wednesday, India enjoyed an optional practise session at the ICC Academy ground. Pandya began by going through a series of fitness routines under the supervision of team physio Nitin Patel and assistant trainer Soham Desai. It lasted around 20 minutes, from stretching to sprinting, while his teammates had a net session.

Pandya next walked to a net and bowled, followed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur in the batting order. Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, and MS Dhoni, the team’s mentor, all kept a careful eye on him. During India’s visit to Sri Lanka in July, Pandya bowled a handful of overs in a T20I. Hardik did not bowl in the IPL. “The physios and trainers are working on his (Hardik) bowling.” He has yet to bowl a single ball. After the team’s last match in the IPL, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma remarked, “We wanted to take one match at a time and see where he stands. “Kohli talked about Pandya’s value as a power-hitter at No. 6 ahead of the Pakistan encounter. He was hit on the right shoulder during the match and had a scan, which indicated nothing significant.

India has been missing a sixth bowling option, as evidenced by their 10-wicket loss versus Pakistan. Pandya was also seen taking throwdowns at the nets today. Let’s see if Pandya can return to the battlefield and perform to his full potential!