Simon Doull shocking statement was made in response to Hardik Pandya patchy bowling results during the current Indian Premier League. In the two matches that he opened the bowling for MI and took just one wicket, the 30-year-old has been noticeably absent from the bowling crease in the games that have followed.
Before their pivotal matchup with the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League, the Mumbai Indians camp is dealing with a worrying circumstance. Former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull has asserted that MI captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya is battling an injury that he won’t admit to having.
“You step out and start bowling in game number one, making a statement, and all of a sudden you are not needed. He is hurt. You need to know that there is a problem with him. He refuses to acknowledge it. But there’s no denying that he has a problem. I have a gut sense about that,” Doull stated on Cricbuzz.
Will be playing when it’s appropriate: Hardik Pandya
Pandya had already caused a stir when he declined to bowl during the Delhi Capitals game, saying that he would bowl when it was appropriate. Doull’s remarks, nevertheless, imply that there might be more to the tale.
“Everything will be well if you bowl at the proper time. Had it covered, so I didn’t have to roll my arm over,” Hardik stated in an earlier interview following the game.
Doull’s disclosure is especially noteworthy because it coincides with the Mumbai Indians’ pivotal game against their fiercest rivals, the Chennai Super Kings. Pandya’s availability and level of fitness might play a significant role in how the game turns out as the five-time champions attempt to recover from a difficult start to the season.
Any extended absence for Pandya could endanger his prospects of being totally fit and prepared for the main tournament in June, which is also the T20 World Cup 2024. The Mumbai-based team turned things around and won back-to-back games after dropping their opening three games of the season, despite the fact that their captain does not bowl.