Chris Lynn reveals why Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl against RCB

Mumbai Indians opening batsman Chris Lynn stated that Hardik Pandya did not bowl in the opening game because of a shoulder niggle. The opening match of the 14th season was between Mumbai Indians (MI) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl in the 2020 IPL as well. He had returned to bowling in India’s tour of Australia, after which he also rolled his arms over in the limited-overs series against England. 

The 31-year-old Lynn reckoned that bearing in mind the amount of workload, Hardik ceased from bowling as a precautionary measure. Nevertheless, Chris Lynn accepted that the Mumbai-based side desired for a sixth bowling option in the IPL 2021 opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Queensland batsman also disclosed that bowling makes the Hardik Pandya more confident, which transcends to his batting as well. And hopefully, Mumbai Indians will be using the all-rounder’s services as the tournament proceeds.

MI needs to adapt quickly to the pitch at Chepauk: Chris Lynn

The 31-year-old right-handed batsman believes that the franchise needs to adapt quickly to the pitch at Chepauk. Mumbai Indians will play four more matches, and batting there is going to get tough as the tournament progresses. It will also be interesting to see if MI brings back de Kock to replace Chris Lynn. The Australian batsman warmed the bench for the entire season last year in UAE as the South African was preferred over him. 

Talking about Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder didn’t have an auspicious day with the bat. He managed to score only 13 runs in 10 balls before Harshal Patel trapped him plumb in front. On the other end, Chris Lynn had a good day as he scored 49 runs off 35 balls. His brilliant innings included four fours and three sixes. Mumbai Indians haven’t won their opening match for the 9th consecutive time in the IPL since 2012. However, the victory helped RCB improve their head-to-head record over MI. Virat Kohli & Co. now have 11 wins out of 28 matches. This is also the first instance RCB won their opening game of the IPL. After losing their opening match by two wickets, Mumbai Indians are next scheduled to lock horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday, April 13, at the Chepauk itself.

IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians playing XI 

Rohit Sharma (C), Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

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