Dubai, Oct 24 (IANS): India all-rounder Hardik Pandya confirmed ahead of the teams opening match in the ICC men's T20 World Cup against Pakistan that he wont be bowling for now. He added that he plans to start bowling closer to the knockout matches.

"The back is fine, it was jittery, but I won't be bowling for now. I want to be able to bowl eventually, closer to the knockouts. The professionals and I both have to take the call about when I can have a bowl," said Pandya in a chat with the broadcasters before the start of Group 2 clash against Pakistan.

Pandya, who is playing his 50th T20I match for India, hasn't bowled a ball since the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka in July and didn't bowl during the second half of IPL 2021 as well as warm-up matches of the men's T20 World Cup.

Asked about how he keeps himself calm and focused ahead of a high-octane match, Pandya remarked, "I don't like to get too hyped by the situation, and my family make sure of that too. I stay away from social media because you do get excited and get the vibes. It's simple, and we leave emotions out of the way, and keep things professional. We make sure we tick the right boxes, and do the processes right."