Hardik not bowling will not impact Virat Kohli-led team in T20 World Cup – Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev said Hardik Pandya bowling a couple of overs will give an advantage to India at the T20 World Cup but insisted that it will not impact Virat Kohli-led team if the player is unable to roll his arm over.

Kapil Dev’s comments came after Hardik didn’t bowl in India’s warm-up match against England in Dubai.

Hardik has not bowled for India since the home series against England and was also kept away from bowling by Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021.

“An all-rounder always makes a massive difference to a team. Hardik, not bowling will not impact India’s chances, but it will make a difference in terms of Kohli’s options. If an all-rounder is available for both, it enhances the captain’s ability to rotate bowlers and gives him the extra option to fall back on,” Kapil Dev told Sportskeeda.

“In Hardik’s case, India should be okay given the talent in the team, but him bowling even 2 overs will obviously lend more flexibility. That said, I believe India does have the firepower in the team to make up for the deficiency,” he added.