As Team India gets ready to take on South Africa in T20Is at home, the spotlight will be significantly on Hardik Pandya who got back to the side following a 6-month absence.
The all-rounder had a momentous season in the Indian Premier League (2022), driving his side Gujarat Titans to their first title. Simultaneously, he shut his faultfinders up with a heavenly batting show in the competition.
Hardik Pandya Silences Critics After Extra-ordinary IPL Season
Preceding the beginning of the IPL 2022, many fingers were raised about his fitness. Additionally, there were questions over his bowling fitness as well as captaincy abilities, considering that he had captained just a single time in senior cricket beforehand.
Notwithstanding, the 28-year-old shut down all such questions with his heroics. Pandya played 15 games and scored 487 runs at an average of 44.27, including four half-centuries. He additionally took 8 wickets in the competition and enrolled his best figures of 3 for 17.
Not Easy To Lead New Team And Win The Championship
Former India wicketkeeper-player Kiran More was dazzled with Pandya’s return to form. Talking at the SG Podcast, the former India selector was of the assessment that the Baroda all-rounder has now turned into a ‘four-dimensional’ cricketer.
“The best moment for me in IPL 15 was the way Gujarat Titans played cricket. It was outstanding. And especially Hardik becoming a captain and lifting the trophy, his personal performance was equally brilliant.
Going from Mumbai Indians to Gujarat Titans; it’s not that easy to go and lead the new team and straightaway win the championship,” Kiran More told SG Podcast.
Hardik Pandya Upgraded From 3D To 4D: Kiran More
More, who had noticed Pandya from close range at the MI camp, further reviewed the latter’s earlier days and talked about the ‘hunger for cricket’ in his eyes.
“He wanted to play the sport. Krunal Pandya (his elder brother) had joined my academy and Hardik used to hang around. He used to keep running behind the nets and catching the ball. That is when I told Krunal to bring him to nets as well and that’s when I saw the hunger in his eyes.
“For me, Hardik was a young kid, who wanted to perform all the time. I now believe he is a four-dimensional player now. Earlier he was a three-dimensional player because he is a bowler, batter and a fielder but now he is a captain as well. So, you feel proud that you have such a talented cricketer in the national side,” said More.