IND vs SL: Sri Lanka Tour Is Very Important For Hardik Pandya, Says Saba Karim

Saba Karim feels Hardik Pandya‘s batsmanship would be tested in India’s forthcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. For their tour to Sri Lanka, India will play 6 limited-overs matches in 2 formats, beginning with the first ODI on July 18. Saba Karim feels the Sri Lanka tour will be a challenge.

IND vs SL 2021: “The Sri Lanka tour will be challenging for Hardik Pandya as a batsman” – Saba Karim

Apart from playing burning hits down the order, Hardik Pandya, one of the team’s most important members, is anticipated to roll his arm over again.

Saba Karim suggested that Hardik Pandya could struggle with the low and slower Sri Lankan surfaces. The former India wicket-keeper explained his reasoning as follows- “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.”

Hardik Pandya, according to the former Indian selector, might be flown over to England if he demonstrates his fitness during the Sri Lanka series. Karim went on to say- “The Sri Lanka tour is very important for Hardik Pandya. Because there are two selectors there, they can watch him closely, so if he is fit here and doesn’t have any problems after bowling, it would have to be seen if he can be sent from here to England for Test cricket because we need a fast-bowling all-rounder.”

Saba Karim stated that if Hardik Pandya is in top form, Team India would have a far better chance of winning the T20 World Cup. He remarked- “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.”

India’s chances in the T20 WC will get doubled if Hardik is fit: Karim 

Saba Karim feels the Sri Lanka tour will be a challenge. The burden would be on the team making sure Hardik Pandya progressively works his way back to full fitness, according to the former Indian wicketkeeper and batsman. Karim stated the following- “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.”

“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.”

“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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