'I enjoy what I do. For me, it's about the opportunity.'

• SCORECARD

Premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya was unperturbed about not getting a chance to bowl through the 13th Indian Premier League, which concluded in Dubai on Tuesday.

Amid Mumbai Indians's domination over the past few weeks, the team management kept assessing the progress made by Hardik, who more than made up with his incredible ability to hit the ball far and high.

"It didn't bother me. I enjoy what I do. For me, it's about the opportunity.

"It's all about preparation. On that front, we did well and focussed on improving day by day," Hardik said after Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals by five wickets to win their fifth IPL title.

"I wasn't able to bowl this year. It's just about backing myself."

Hardik is part of India’s squads for the limited-overs' series in Australia, beginning in the last week of November.

He underwent surgery on his back in October last year in the UK. His lower back had been troubling him since the Test series in England in 2018.

The surgery kept him out of action for almost a year. The all-rounder last played a T20 International against South Africa at home in September 2019.

He missed the Tests against the same opposition after that, the home series against Bangladesh and West Indies, a T20I series against Sri Lanka and ODIs against Australia at home, and the entire tour of New Zealand earlier this year.