“As long as he stays fit, we know what he brings, how much balance he gives the team. I don’t think there is a replacement for the things that he can do as a cricketer at the moment, especially when it comes to the way he bowls. Really, (with) his balance (he) gives Rohit options to play different combinations, so his fitness for us is critical and so far, fortunately, he is doing okay as an athlete,” Agarkar had said.
Indeed, for all the criticism that he has copped in his rather forgettable maiden stint as the Mumbai Indians captain in this IPL, Hardik has virtually no replacement for the all-round skills that he brings to the table in India at the moment, especially when he’s bowling well. When he led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022, Pandya had played a vital part in the triumph with the ball, taking three for 17 against the Rajasthan Royals (eight wickets overall in the tournament) in the final at Ahmedabad.
On Monday night at the Wankhede Stadium, Pandya, delivering an incisive spell, scalped three for 33 in four overs to play a crucial role in restricting the Sunrisers Hyderabad to 173 for eight in 20 overs after they were threatening to run away with another big total. While Suryakumar Yadav’s blazing hundred scorched SRH later and deservedly earned the plaudits, MI’s consolation victory owed a fair bit to Pandya’s telling blows with the ball.
Both SKY and Pandya’s return to form, after having spent months out of the game due to injuries (Pandya: ankle, Surya: sports hernia) augers well for the Indian team going into the T20 World Cup.
On a Wankhede pitch where the ball was moving and bouncing a fair bit, Pandya, bowling the best that he has since returning from an ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines since he last turned out for India against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup in October 2023, tested the batsmen by banging the ball into the wicket-one of his strengths as a bowler. Overall, the all-rounder has taken 11 wickets in IPL-2024 in 11 matches. The most encouraging thing with Pandya is that in the last three games, he has bowled his full quota of four overs, taking 2-26 against Lucknow Super Giants and 2-44 vs Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I like bowling to the areas and see what the situation requires [me to do]. If the wicket has grip, I do it, if not, like today, I thought the ball was nipping around and bowling at the right areas would be a right option and I think it worked,” Pandya said at the post-match presentation.
One man who has always been a big backer of Pandya is former West Indies T20 great Kieron Pollard, MI’s batting coach. Talking about Hardik’s recent bowling efforts, Pollard said, “It is good for him and obviously good for Indian cricket. Obviously, he’s been selected in the World Cup team. It’s all coming at the right time, though one thing for us is that we’ve never doubted the ability and the talent in that individual.”
Before he board the plane to New York, if Hardik bowls eight more overs and take some wickets in MI’s remaining two matches – against KKR and LSG – he would’ve gained much of his confidence that would’ve shaken after his form and captaincy both were found wanting for a large part of the IPL.
