India vs Pakistan: Confident Hardik Pandya Plays Down Question On Fitness

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has emerged as one of the biggest X-factors for Team India in the shortest format of the game and his rise particularly this year has been nothing less than phenomenal. However, whenever the player features in any game, fans start talking about his fitness and whether he would be able to bowl his full quota of four overs. Ahead of the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday, Hardik said that his fitness is completely fine and the topic should be "put to rest".

"Have many fond memories here, I made my T20 debut in Australia, and from there the journey has continued. It's good to be back here, you can't get a better place to play sport and enjoy. The body is fine, I think you should put that topic about my body on rest, you will see me bowling," Hardik told host broadcaster Star Sports before the start of the match. 

"We are playing international cricket, it's not only about Pakistan bowlers. Any team which is playing will have quality bowing at this level, international cricket has certain standards. So we all are aware about it and as a batting unit we have had a word about it. We have worked very hard to come here. The team that plays well, wins the contest," he added.

In the match between India and Pakistan, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first. India have opted to go in with Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami in place of Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel.

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Hardik Pandya ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Cricket Rohit Sharma Mohammad Shami Ravichandran Ashwin