The resurrection of Hardik Pandya is glaring, something that certainly cannot be overlooked. Everyone has their own way of perceiving another human being. It's only human to like or dislike a co-worker, celebrity, or even a prominent personality, someone you have never met or had an interaction with. Hardik is someone who has been adored for his maverick cricketing attributes but there have been times in the past when his domineering persona has subjected him to relentless criticism. But again, it is his personality that has aided him to carve a niche in a fiercely scrutinised sport in India.
In hindsight, it's convenient to say that Hardik Pandya was meant to walk through the fire and come out at the other end like a 24-karat shining star. Amidst unrelenting criticism and mounting pressure, the younger of the two Pandya brothers didn't flinch by keeping the outside noise at bay. Perseverance and unwavering work ethic has now propelled Hardik to another stratosphere, a place where he sits on a throne with people singing his praises.
Sunday (August 28) was just another example of a player fully aware of his potential, who soaked in all the pressure and then wreaked havoc, first by making Pakistan batters dance to his nippy deliveries and then pulverising the Men in Green's bowlers like a dazzling destroyer of bowling attacks. His batting was all about sheer nonchalance as if he had no regard for Pakistan's bowlers, his bowling was about subtle changes in lengths to keep opposition batters honest on the crease but overall, it was redemption for what happened four years ago in the same setting against the same team and competition.
In the last edition of the Asia Cup, the all-rounder was dragged off the field on a stretcher due to a lower back injury. It was a painful end for Hardik, whose game ended prematurely and he could bowl just 4.5 overs. Only four years later, he stood in the middle of the park, raised his bat in the air and soaked in all the applause. Another glittering addition to the legend of Hardik Pandya, which seems to be growing faster than ever.
“I was remembering it all. I was stretchered off at the same venue against the same opponent in the 2018 Asia Cup. You feel a sense of achievement because of the things that have happened in the past, today I got an opportunity. The journey is beautiful. The fruits of our journey come to us, but behind the scenes, a lot of people do not get credit who walk along with us,” Hardik said in an interview with Ravindra Jadeja in a video uploaded by BCCI.
MS Dhoni's influence
Hardik finished the game in style on Sunday by tonking Mohammad Nawaz's delivery into the stands, an ending which Indian fans became accustomed to and made famous by former India captain MS Dhoni, who also happens to be Hardik's close confidant. Dhoni was the master at finishing matches and remaining unbeaten till the end. Hardik did the same thing on Sunday by remaining unbeaten on 33 runs off 17 balls. While the tangible parts have an uncanny resemblance, it is the intangibles where similarities between Dhoni and Hardik are conspicuous.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022), the swashbuckling all-rounder displayed that there is more to his game than being an explosive batter, a thinking bowler, and a gun fielder. The calmness and maturity in Hardik's personality cannot be talked about enough. For instance, when he played a dot in the last over against Pakistan on Sunday, he looked at Dinesh Karthik at the other end and gave him an assurance nudge-of-the-head as if to let everyone know that he will take care of the business. And he did.
The tale of two contrasting IPL seasons
After the conclusion of IPL 2021, fans and pundits were skeptical about the 28-year-old's place in India's squad for the T20 World Cup, and rightly so. Hardik's worst IPL season came after two of his most successful ones. In IPL 2019 and 2020, the all-rounder was at his decimating best and combined for a strike rate of 222 in death overs. He was the driving force behind Mumbai Indians' fourth and fifth IPL titles.
During the same phase, Hardik was at his peak for the national side as well. India defeated Australia 2-1 in the three-match T20I series Down Under and Hardik bagged the Man of the Series award after aggregating 78 runs at a strike rate of 156. Brimming with confidence and match-winning performances under his belt, Hardik was primed to take a further leap. But the opposite transpired in 2021, a year that threatened to disrupt the 28-year-old's career.
His flamboyance was arrested by injuries and it had an adverse effect on his form. In IPL 2021, Hardik could only manage 127 runs in 12 matches at a dismal strike rate of 113.39. But the fact that the right-arm medium pacer didn't bowl even a single over the entire season as he was still nursing a back injury, annoyed fans to a great degree.
Despite his three-dimensional game being crippled, he was selected for the ensuing T20 World Cup as a pure batter. But the decision backfired. Soon after, Hardik was axed from the national team. Also, Mumbai Indians chose not to retain their talisman, who was instrumental in the franchise winning win multiple titles. At that point, the light at the end of the tunnel looked dim for Hardik Pandya. But once again, he persevered.
Hardik Pandya's path-breaking IPL 2022 campaign
The all-rounder's shot at making a comeback to Team India began in IPL 2022 and he cashed in on the opportunity in tremendous fashion. Appointed the captain of Gujarat Titans, Hardik led the franchise to the promised land in its maiden season. His captaincy was the hallmark of IPL 2022 but he answered his critics by excelling in his primary roles.
With four half-centuries in 15 matches and a tally of 487 runs, the Titans' skipper finished the campaign as the fourth leading run-scorer in this year's IPL. His average of 44.27 and strike rate of 131.26 is stupendous considering the phase in which Hardik has batted. He scored 30-plus in eight innings and in four of those knocks, Hardik remained unbeaten as he batted with poise initially and accelerated in the death overs.
From not bowling a single over last season to finishing his quota of four overs in the first four matches of this edition, Hardik, the bowler, has come a full circle. The right-arm medium pacer has surprised onlookers with his tremendous bowling in powerplay wherein his economy of 5.54 was the third best of all bowlers who bowled a minimum of 60 balls in that phase. His tally of eight wickets in the tournament doesn't reveal the whole story. The right-arm pacer was extremely restrictive by bowling tight lines and lengths and varying his pace.
"Since the time he (Hardik) has made his comeback, he's been brilliant. When he was not part of the team, he figured (out) what he needs to do to his body and his fitness regime, and now he is clocking 140+ easily," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"His batting quality we all know and it's been brilliant since his comeback. He is a lot calmer now and more confident about what he wants to do, whether it's with the bat or with the ball.
"He can bowl really quickly, we saw that today with those short balls. It was always about just understanding his game and he's doing that well now. In a high-pressure with 10 runs per over needed, you can panic but he never showed any of that," he added.
The captaincy at Gujarat Titans came as a blessing in disguise for Hardik Pandya and the all-rounder made full use of it by excelling in a way that no one really expected him to. After his heroics in IPL 2022, the 28-year-old was given the keys to the Indian team when Rohit Sharma and others were rested for the T20I series against Ireland earlier in the year.
While that was only temporary, Hardik has made a solid case for a permanent captaincy role after Rohit Sharma decides to pass the baton. It will only be fitting as the all-rounder has earned the designation by putting on stunning performances on a regular basis now.
