OPINION
Follow UsA pace-bowling all-rounder, an absolute smasher of the ball, a true cricketing brain really is the definition of a perfect cricketer, isn’t it? That’s Hardik Pandya in a nutshell. In a country filled with superstars, the younger Pandya brother has carved a niche.
Hardik is 28 but has already polarized many opinions in Indian cricket. Hardik walked into the Indian team as a fresh breath of air and as his career stumbled with injuries, he still remained the benchmark.
"He (Hardik) is a real asset for Indian cricket, I would say. It's very hard to find a guy who can almost touch 140 kph and who strikes the way he strikes the ball. And he can bat through the innings as well," Kohli said on the eve of India's 2017 ICC Champions Trophy encounter against Sri Lanka.
Being the rare talent, he is, the pressure on Hardik being a captain was going to be monumental. Now pair that up with the cross road in his career, a place that he hasn’t seen before ever since making his debut for the national team.
In front of a daunting 1,00,000 people, the four-time IPL winner never looked overwhelmed and, in fact, he soaked all the pressure that the situation demanded. It is very seldom that a newbie captain shows that kind of confidence but that’s Hardik.
Having the captaincy allows you to have complete responsibility but at the same time, will also attract all the blame if the side loses. So, after losing the toss when Hardik walked out chewing the gum, it almost felt like he wanted all of the pressure. And as Hardik and Gujarat proved, it was that pressure which got the best out of them.
The 28-year-old almost has a persona like the Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh. There are definitely going to be polarizing opinions but the energy levels paired up with utmost calmness makes them unique. Be it the outfits, the shoes, the watches, Hardik almost draws an instant attention towards him.
However, you would be a fool to just stop there with his fashion sense. Even his cricketing skills draw an instant attention.
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Two months ago, the idea of Hardik was a vividly different one. Since the end of IPL 2021 and the beginning of this year’s tournament, the all-rounder had bowled just six overs, picking up only one wicket. With the bat as well, the Baroda all-rounder just scored 206 runs, averaging 17.17 and at a strike-rate of 121.9. That was far away from the memory that was imprinted in the minds of the Indian fans.
Gujarat’s lack of anchor in the team posed the question: which approach will Hardik take? The one that had always threatened the bowlers with thunderous hitting or a slower version of himself? But the 2021 IPL season was a defining one for the Hardik that we know today. Not only did he average a lowly 14.11 for Mumbai but was struggling to find momentum striking at 113.4.
There wasn’t much evidence from the IPL to suggest Hardik could be an anchor but what was impressive is how the all-rounder adapted to the role. When asked about the changing roles, Hardik insisted that he is open to playing any sort of game depending on the condition, the sign of a player who understands the game to perfection.
"I've always fancied myself as a batter. Batting comes first to me, it's always going to be close to my heart, so, obviously when we got the auction done, it was clear that I had to bat up the order to guide [the team through the middle overs],” Hardik said at the post-tournament press conference.
In IPL 2022, the all-rounder smashed 487 runs, the most he has scored in an IPL season, averaging 44.27 (his second-best in an IPL season), striking at 131.3, playing a dot-ball of just 32%.
India already have plenty of captaincy options, in the form of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant but if there is something that the IPL has taught us over these few years, it is how important the captaincy side of things are to a team. Hardik showed first-hand how much impact captaincy does, with this statement.
"People say T20 is a batters' game but I have always maintained that bowlers win you matches. Because if the batters don't get a par score, if you have a gun bowling line-up, the bowlers can pull things back,” he said.
The nuances that the all-rounder carries while playing the game and while leading his side, is what makes Hardik Pandya, Hardik Pandya. Ever since Kapil Dev, there have been several all-rounders who have been touted to be on the same page, to have the same success but what Hardik does is beyond the common realm.
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Having started the tournament bowling four overs on the trot, the 28-year-old realised the toll it takes on his body with the injury he suffered during the IPL. Since that injury, the all-rounder never completed his quota of four overs in an IPL fixture until the IPL final, where he was the influential figure for the Titans, picking up three crucial wickets at the expense of just 17 runs.
Ahead of the season, it was crucial for Hardik, the captain to understand the need of the situation and accordingly play Hardik the all-rounder. And he has done that to perfection, sending out a message to the management on how to actually handle his workload.
"It was all about sticking to the right lengths, asking the batters to play the right shots,” the all-rounder reflected on his spell of 3/17, showing how quickly he picked up the pitch, something that helped the Titans massively.
Hardik the monster all-rounder was a different phase in Indian cricket but what is deadlier is Hardik the all-rounder, who is at the peak of his mental game, understanding the depths of his talent – both with the bat and the ball.
That’s what the Titans have unearthed in the 2022 IPL, something that the Indian cricket had missed for the longest time. Having Hardik the smasher might have been a blessing but having Hardik, the player who understands his game better, is the ultimate blessing for team India.
"Absolutely to win the World Cup for India no matter what happens," was Hardik’s immediate statement after winning the IPL.
Now that the 28-year-old is a five-time IPL champion, his focus has shifted to the ultimate goal – winning the T20 World Cup for India – and it is this form of his that might help India cross that hurdle preventing them from the T20 World Cup success.
