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Pandya is very valuable and capable of finishing games for India in T20I series: Irfan Pathan
YB WEB DESK. Dated: 6/9/2022 1:16:46 PM
New Delhi, June 8 Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan heaped rich praise on Hardik Pandya, calling the star India all-rounder an extremely valuable T20 cricketer and saying that he was capable of finishing games for India in the T20I series. A fully fit Pandya makes his return to the squad in a five-match T20I series against South Africa. The talented all-rounder enjoyed an excellent IPL season with the bat, scoring 487 runs in 15 matches. His spell of 3/17 in the IPL final was a match-winning performance. "Hardik Pandya is very valuable and he is capable of finishing the game. He can do that, batting from the top as well. So, the management is quite aware of this and having him in the team, they don't just have one or two but three finishers in the team. The way Hardik Pandya bats, he is capable of scoring sixes anytime and has started playing along the ground too, which is why this season in the IPL, he has been great. Getting back to batting, the Indian team, having three finishers, has filled up the gaps and having him back in the team excites me a lot," Pathan said on Star Sports' show Follow The Blues. The Indian team also boasts of two emerging bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik, both who have been exceptional for their IPL franchises this year. The former has been one of Punjab Kings' leading pacers, specially picking wickets at regular intervals in the death overs. In 36 IPL matches, Arshdeep has picked up 40 wickets at an economy rate of 8.42 with one fivewicket haul to his name. Jammu and Kashmir's Umran has breathed fire, clocking 150 kmph consistently.