IPL 2020, MI vs DC: ‘He’s not comfortable at the moment,’ Rohit Sharma explains why Hardik Pandya is unlikely to bowl in the final

IPL 2020, MI vs DC: Pandya suffered a back injury last year due to which he had to undergo surgery. Ever since his return, Pandya has not bowled and in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, he has been used only as a batsman by the Mumbai Indians.

Hardik Pandya has been one of the best allrounders the Indian team has produced in the modern era. Pandya is an explosive batsman who can turn the tide at any stage of the match. With the ball, the right-arm seamer has the ability to break partnerships and trouble well-settled batsmen in the middle.

Hardik Pandya of Mumbai Indians takes a knee in support of 'Black Lives Matter' after scoring a fifty during Indian Premier League (IPL) match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. (PTI)

But Pandya suffered a back injury last year due to which he had to undergo surgery. Ever since his return, Pandya has not bowled and in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, he has been used only as a batsman by the Mumbai Indians.

Pandya has lived up to his reputation with the bat - his innings of 37* in 14 balls in the first Qualifier against Delhi Capitals made the difference between MI losing and winning the match. But fans continue to wonder would they get to see Pandya bowl at all in the tournament?

Replying to a question posed by Hindustan Times at the virtual pre-match press conference a day before the final, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma explained why the franchise would not be looking to use Pandya as a bowler in the final.

The MI skipper further said that the Mumbai Indians management does not want players to feel the pressure of being asked to do something they are not comfortable doing.

“He’s got some niggle going. It would have been great to have him bowl. Throughout this season we have given him that cushion of being in that comfort zone and making sure that he takes care of his body and he has done that really well,” Rohit said.

“We don’t want to put that pressure on individuals where we are expecting something from him and he is not able to do it and the team morale goes down. We don’t want that situation,” he added.

Rohit acknowledged the role Pandya has played with the bat in MI’s campaign this season and said that he is happy with what the allrounder is doing at the moment.

“Hardik to us is very important as a player. His batting has been really key for us in making it to the final. So, as long as he bats, I am happy,” Rohit signed off.