Lack of bowling has been the primary reason behind him not making a return to the Test team. But Hardik Pandya is eager to regain fitness to bowl in all the matches for India in the impending ICC T20 World Cup.
"For me, I want to make sure, and I will be able to, that I bowl in all the games of the (T20) World Cup. I am just trying to be smart and make sure that I don’t miss that. My full focus is on the World Cup," Pandya said on TOI Sportscast.
In the T20I series against England, Hardik bowled for the first time since September 2019, when he had been sidelined with a back injury. Hardik bowled 17 overs comprising three full-quota spells, picking three wickets. He even bowled in the ODI series, although in just one match, returning with 0/48 in 9 overs. Yet, Hardik did not bowl in any of the seven games that he played in IPL 2021 owing to a shoulder niggle.
"Yes, on the bowling front, what matters is how fit I am. Even after my surgery, I didn't drop my pace. My bowling is related to my fitness. The fitter I get, the better it comes out. Whenever I play, I don't want to play at 50 per cent. (When) I play, I will play at 100 per cent," he said.
