Hardik Pandya news: India allrounder looking forward to bowling more

India allrounder Hardik Pandya is looking forward to once again contributing with ball in hand, as opposed to being selected for his big-hitting skills.

Particularly so after the 28-year-old was appointed as the captain of the new Ahmedabad franchise in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Whilst he doesn’t have a lot of leadership experience, he is confident this won’t set him back, while shedding some light on what his contribution at the helm is likely to be.

“We are starting from scratch and I feel we can create new legacies, we can create new cultures which I want to endorse. It’s going to be a very exciting time,” Pandya said on Cricbuzz.

“There’s no manual of learning how to become a captain.

“I’ve always been a person who likes to take responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“As a captain, I want to ensure all the players have enough time from me. That’s what I’ve learnt and I’ll make sure my doors will always be open for them.

“When someone is doing well, they don’t need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that’s when they need you.

“As a captain, when someone is doing good, I will not bother them. When someone is down, I’ll be always available to them.”

Pandya has been suffering with a niggling back injury for the good part of the last three years, which in turn has seen his international opportunities decrease.

Making doubters believers once again

However, hopeful that he has put the setback behind him, Pandya is looking forward to proving some of his naysayers wrong.

“It’s been challenging. I’ve always been someone who contributes with the bat, ball and on the field,” he continued.

“When I decided I will just bat, I wanted to spend some time on the ground. We all love challenges and I love to fight it out.

“Criticism is good and it doesn’t really bother me. For me, results do matter but I work hard for the process.

“I’ve always realised that as an allrounder I give a lot of different options to the team.

“I’ll try to work on being an allrounder and if something doesn’t work out then my batting is always there.

“But Hardik Pandya combined with both bat and ball, it sounds better than just a batter.

“I’ve always been a cricketer who plays situations and if I have to go certain places where my team needs certain goals from me, as a group we will decide.

“I have not made any plans regarding that.”

The auction for the 2022 IPL will take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.