Hardik Pandya - a name in the world of cricket that instills fear in the minds of opposition teams. When you hear of him, words like maverick, phenomenon, and swagger automatically come to mind. Hardik Pandya is everything that the Indian team was looking for since Kapil Dev, especially in the white-ball format.
Tracing back to his beginnings, he started his cricketing journey as a kid following in the footsteps of his elder brother Krunal Pandya, who himself is an Indian cricketer. His family endured financial crises during his teenage years, but both brothers successfully overcame them and went on to play international cricket. Being a fast-bowling all-rounder is probably the most difficult job in the world of cricket, as it takes a heavy toll on the human body. Pandya started late with his fast bowling but later turned out to be excellent at it.
Hardik first came into the limelight with some amazing performances for the Mumbai Indians in 2015. By this time, India was desperately searching for a genuine fast-bowling all-rounder. As a result, he was called up for the T20 series against Australia in 2016. He made his debut in Australia and showed glimpses of what he could do in the coming years. He was part of the World Cup team in the same year and performed well during India's campaign. His last over against Bangladesh is forever etched in the memories of Indian fans. However, he was inconsistent with his bowling, which led to his omission from the squad.
He went on to play for the India A team and worked immensely on his bowling. He made his ODI debut in the same year and hasn’t looked back since. He has won matches for India with both bat and ball on many occasions. However, the fear of injury turned into reality and kept him out of action for a very long time. This also put a break on his and India’s aspirations of him growing into a terrific red-ball cricketer. Post-injury, Pandya established himself as the most prominent white-ball all-rounder across the globe.
What makes him special is his ability to shine during crunch situations. As they say, when the lights are the brightest, he shines brighter than anybody else. He takes pride in being the man when the team needs him most. He has a knack for taking crucial wickets and scoring tough runs when the odds are against him and his team. It’s his performances during ICC trophies that make him stand out. The Indian team played magnificently during the 2023 World Cup, but in the final one could sense his absence. The team missed his services, both with bat and ball.
His importance was specifically evident during the last T20 World Cup. He was brilliant throughout, but his best came in the final against South Africa. With the ball in his hands, he performed at the most crucial moments and bowled two superb overs at the death. He took the important wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, shifting the tide of the game in India’s favour.
With his leadership skills flourishing, and now a senior pro in the dressing room, he brings a lot to the table. Hardik is in his prime years right now, and with the ability he possesses, there is so much that he and the Indian team can achieve in the coming years. It’s important that he looks after himself well and helps India win several crucial ICC trophies, with the World Cup being the pinnacle. Hardik is deservingly the ‘Most Valuable Player’ for the Indian team, and Indian cricket fans should be grateful for all that he has done and will continue to do in the years ahead.
