In the first part of the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Hardik Pandya’s performance both as a batsman and a bowler raised many doubts. He didn’t bowl much in some matches, which led to discussions about his fitness and whether he should be included in the T20 World Cup squad. Also, his bowling economy rate was over 11 runs per over, and his batting strike rate was not impressive in the first nine games. Although his batting stats were okay, with 197 runs at an average of 24.63 and a strike rate of 151.5, Pandya struggled to make an impact with the ball.
Despite concerns that Hardik Pandya might not be selected for the T20 World Cup due to his average IPL performance, the selection committee made him the vice-captain for the upcoming tournament. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar supported this decision, saying Pandya is “irreplaceable.” The selectors trust Pandya’s abilities, given his consistent performances with both bat and ball over the last two years.
Since Pandya joined the World Cup squad, he has shown significant improvement, taking seven wickets at an average of 14.4 and an economy rate of 8.4. This improvement suggests that Pandya is getting back to his best form.
In recent games, especially on tough pitches, Pandya has stepped up his game, making a strong impression. It seems like a revitalized Pandya has emerged since the start of this month, finding back his lost form and confidence.
During the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Pandya had his best bowling performance since 2022, taking three wickets in four overs with an economy rate of 7.80. Although he started a bit rough, conceding four boundaries in the first 12 balls, he then found his rhythm and dismissed Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Marco Jansen in his final over to finish with three wickets. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised Pandya’s spell, calling it his best bowling performance.
Known for his sharp outswingers, S. Sreesanth said, “Hardik Pandya can take the new ball or the old ball, especially against Pakistan, but it’s not only against Pakistan, we are going to play a lot of different teams.”
Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody echoed Sreesanth’s thoughts, saying, “Name me three other people who can do what Hardik Pandya is doing. That’s the bottom line. That skill of being a genuine all-rounder who can bat in your top six and potentially bowl four overs for you is very rare in India at the moment.”
Pandya’s all-round ability sets him apart from others in the Indian cricket scene. That’s true.
Pandya has bowled his full quota of overs in three consecutive games, a positive sign for the ‘all-rounder’ who returned to the competition after recovering from a long ankle injury. In these three games, he took seven wickets, one in the Powerplay, five in the middle overs, and one in the death overs. He showcased his versatility by using various deliveries and adapting to different conditions and opposition batsmen.
“I prefer to bowl according to the situation and the conditions,” Pandya said after the SRH game in Mumbai. “If there’s grip on the wicket, I adapt accordingly, and if not, as was the case today, I focus on hitting the right areas. I believe it worked well.”
What led to the change since April 30? Was it his selection for the World Cup or his appointment as vice-captain? Perhaps it was Pandya’s deliberate effort to gradually increase his workload. Whatever the reason, Pandya’s resurgence with the ball is significant for Indian cricket, especially with the World Cup approaching. Though he hasn’t made a big impact with the bat in the IPL, only scoring 198 runs in 12 innings, India isn’t overly concerned about his batting form given his past performances in big tournaments.
Just like in the ODI World Cup six months ago, Hardik will again play a crucial role in the playing XI as a middle-order batter and the third or fourth pace-bowling option.
