Hardik Pandya is gearing up for the Asia Cup 2022 which will get underway this Saturday when Sri Lanka face Afghanistan in Dubai. The six-team event will see participation from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and a qualifier.
Pandya was part of India’s England and Caribbean tour but was rested from the three-match ODI series to give him ample time to remain afresh for the Asia Cup to be played in Dubai. The Rohit Sharma-led team will start their title defense on Sunday when they take on Pakistan.
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On Tuesday, Pandya shared a clip of him imitating his India teammate Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling action during what appears to be an indoor practice session. After his hilarious attempt, the allrounder also copied Bumrah’s unique celebration.
Watch the clip below:
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Unfortunately, Bumrah isn’t part of India’s squad for the continental tourney as he’s been ruled out due to an injury.
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Meanwhile, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has picked out Pandya as the most vital cog in the team’s setup. He said the 28-year-old adds balance to the side.
“He (Pandya) is one of the most important cogs in the wheel as far as India is concerned," Shastri said in a press conference organised by Star Sports.
“You take him out of the squad and the balance goes away. That’s how important he is. You don’t know whether to play an extra batsman or an extra bowler."
He also claimed that during the 2021 T20 World Cup, India were impacted by Pandya’s absence.
“We missed him really badly last year in the (T20) World Cup when he couldn’t bowl. It makes a massive difference. There is no one close to him when it comes to the quality that he possesses at that number. I think he is an extremely important player and has to be watched very closely. With the number of matches coming up, he is the last person you want to play in all those matches," Shastri said.
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