NEW DELHI: There are some players who are content to remain in the shadow of others – men of few words, they are content to let the bat and ball do the taking. All-round Hardik Pandya is one of them; the 29-year-old has been the eternal bridesmaid of Indian cricket.
All that changed when he was named the captain of the Indian team for the T20 series against New Zealand, a move many feel should have come much earlier. The decision also assumes importance when one takes into consideration the fact that both Rohit Sharma (35) and Virat Kohli (34) are nearing the end of their careers.
Hardik showcases a cool head and is a quick decision-maker, two of the most important ingredients for a good captain, which came into display when he captained debutants Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL triumph earlier this year. Several top cricketers and aficionados have endorsed the Gujarat all-rounder as the ideal man to lead Team India in the white ball version of the game.
Among top all-rounders
Recently, Hardik’s performance came into the spotlight after his brilliant knock of 63 in India’s semi-final annihilation of England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. “He definitely is one of the top all-rounders in the world right now.
If he can stay injury-free, we will see him emerge as one of the best in the world,” said former cricketer Rajinder Amarnath. Also, captaincy seems to have brought out the best of Hardik.
“Normally captaining a side puts a lot of pressure on the best of players. It was detrimental to Sachin’s batting and he had to let go of it to return to his best. But in Hardik’s case, he seems to thrive being the captain. That’s what we expect in a good leader,” Amarnath said further.
A peek at Hardik’s performance in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup shows that he did well with the bat in the crucial matches against Pakistan and England. Hardik scored 40 runs in the opener against Pakistan and smashed a scintillating 63 against England in the semi-finals.
With the ball also, he was consistent as he kept taking wickets. He had the figures of 3 for 21 against Pakistan and took 2 wickets each against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. No Indian all-rounder has had this type of record with both, bat and ball, in the T20 World Cup.
Impressive ODI record
Hardik’s ODI record is no less impressive – in 66 matches, he has scored 1,385 runs at a strike rate of 115.6 and taken 44 wickets, whereas in T20s, he has amassed 1,130 runs in 80 matches at a strike rate of 145.62.
To gauge Hardik’s maturity, one needs to understand how he paced himself post-recovery from an injury. He did not go all out bowling. Instead, he bowled in small spells to ensure that he did not overstretch himself.
Brand Hardik has also grown in demand and stature. A look at his corporate deals reveals that he is currently endorsing 12 products. This puts him third behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Even on social media, Hardik has the third-largest number of supporters, after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The entire country will now be watching Hardik Pandya’s exploits in New Zealand and hoping that he leaves as much mark as the Team India captain as he has done all along as an all-rounder.
