Hardik Pandya’s T20I bowling would possibly simply be extra worthwhile than his batting | Cricket Information

Pandya achieved a exceptional milestone throughout the earlier T20I in Rajkot that one might not instantly affiliate with the 31-year-old. With 4 overs and two wickets within the sport, Pandya completed one supply in need of 300 overs within the format after surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 298.5 T20I overs, the earlier greatest amongst Indians. Solely 14 bowlers from Full-Member nations have bowled extra deliveries in T20Is.

It is probably not a standout issue on the outset. Nonetheless, it’s certainly vital given Pandya’s frequent run-ins with accidents, a dodgy again, and the sheer expectations from him with the bat within the middle-order.

On a broader context, Pandya has bowled as many deliveries because the legendary Lasith Malinga in T20Is and produced almost as many wickets because the Sri Lankan slingman had in his time (107).

One in every of solely three Indian gamers to have performed at the least 100 T20Is, Pandya’s 94 scalps rank solely behind the sensational Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal for the Males in Blue.

A circle of progress between two tantalising twentieth overs on the T20 World Cup, in 2016 and 2024, greatest sums up Pandya’s rise as a reliable bowler. A one-run win over Bangladesh in Bengaluru in his 14th T20I was extra of MS Dhoni’s inimitable presence behind the stumps, with the gloves and the brains. When India pulled off a Barbados heist over South Africa final yr, Pandya not solely eked out a win within the last over with the ball but additionally snapped the nation’s ICC title drought.

Splitting the 9 years in half, witnesses Pandya’s rise as a reliable seamer who has additionally not too long ago taken over as India’s second paceman within the XI with an added reliance on spin at residence.

Over 85 per cent (80) of his profession T20I wickets have resulted in wins, whereas solely about 65 per cent (1148) of his 1750 runs have long-established victories. Whereas Pandya’s bowling has been pinned largely to the middle-overs, he has grown to ace the position within the final 4 years.

Between 2016 and 2019 (no sport in 2020 on account of Covid), Pandya picked up 26 wickets between overs 7-16, putting each 21.2 deliveries whereas conceding 8.22 runs per over. The shares have improved to 33 wickets since 2021, with a 19.6 SR and seven.95 economic system.

His Maturing prowess additionally noticed him tasked extra usually with the brand new ball, manning Powerplay overs alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh on the dying, since the previous few seasons.

In 10 matches the place he bowled within the Powerplay within the first 4 years of his profession, Pandya couldn’t gather a single wicket whereas leaking 10.5 rpo. He has since taken the duty within the first-six in 38 video games, producing 10 wickets whereas holding a decent 8.31 within the slam-bang age. Pandya has additionally reaped extra wickets on the dying (overs 17-20) within the second half of his operating profession, with a major discount in boundary-conceding deliveries (Bnd % of simply 12.69).

Pandya’s repertoire with hit-the-deck deliveries and off-cutters ranks him as the best seamer within the middle-overs in all T20Is since 2021. His 33 wickets are effectively forward of the likes of Haris Rauf (27), Mustafizur Rahman (24) and Anrich Nortje (20) to call just a few.

Together with his refined bowling profile, Pandya has deftly refurbished his T20I utilities, the merchandise of which is able to stay integral to India’s T20 world title defence at residence in 13 months.