Important to manage Hardik Pandya's bowling workload: Paras Mhambrey

Paras Mhambrey, who was India's bowling coach during the Sri Lanka tour has said that the management is looking to manage all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s bowling workload considering that the World T20 is coming up and the right-hander is going to play a key role for the side.

"With Hardik, we are obviously slowly taking it forward. I am not going to push him in terms of the number of overs to be bowled. He is pretty much being monitored on how much we are going to push him. We have to slowly build up. The World Cup is coming. For us, knowing that he is going to play a very crucial role for us, it is important to manage his bowling workload very well," said Mhambrey.

Talking about Hardik’s role, Mhambrey admitted that the all-rounder does have a lot to offer with the bat, but if he is fit to bowl, then it would give a different dimension.

"We know the batting that he offers you. But if we add bowling to it, he brings a different dimension. In that sense, we are working on it. Everyone -- strength & conditioning department and the physios -- is in sync and we have chatted it out," Mhambrey told IANS.

Pandya had been troubled with a back injury for quite some time. However, post-recovery, he did bowl a bit in the series against Sri Lanka but failed to complete his quota of overs in any of the fixtures.

The right-handed cricketer is expected to bowl in IPL that will resume on September 19 in the UAE where Mumbai Indians will lock horns with Chennai Super Kings. The tournament was suspended after there was a Covid-19 outbreak within the franchises in May this year.

The IPL will be followed by the World T20 that will be hosted by the UAE and Oman. The first match of the competition will be played on October 17 where co-host Oman will be up against PNG.

India will begin the campaign against Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai.

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