‘India's chances will get doubled if he is fit’: Saba Karim names all-rounder who can play a major role in T20 World Cup

Former India cricketer Saba Karim opined that India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup will be 'doubled' if Hardik Pandya reaches the peak of fitness by then.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2021, 23:16:50 IST

By hindustantimes.com

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Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is gearing for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka which begins from July 18 in Colombo. He is one of the senior players in the squad and is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming contest. Hardik will be expected to roll his arm over arm apart from providing the boost with his strokeplay in the middle-order. However, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes the tour won’t be an easy one for the lanky all-rounder.

While speaking with India News, Saba Karim highlighted the challenge posed by the track in Sri Lanka. The former cricketer mentioned that the pitch in Colombo is quite similar to that in Chennai which troubled Hardik during the IPL 2021.

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“The Sri Lanka tour will be challenging for Hardik Pandya as a batsman because he was struggling on the slow Chennai pitches during the IPL. He will get similar wickets in Sri Lanka, so whether he can score runs at a good strike rate in such challenging conditions in white-ball cricket,” Saba Karim said.

Karim further opined that India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup will be doubled up if Hardik Pandya reaches the peak of fitness by then.

“The biggest thing is that India's chances in the T20 World Cup will get doubled if Hardik Pandya is fit. If he can both bowl and bat throughout the tournament, I feel India's chances are extremely bright,” Karim said.

“Secondly, it is dependent on the Indian team management, both the one in England and the one in Sri Lanka currently, on how he is treated from here till the World Cup, how his workload is managed as he will regain his strength slowly,” he concluded.

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India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in three ODIs and as many T20Is from July 18 after the series was rescheduled last week.

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