Raw feeling. Think of Hardik Pandya in IPL 2022 and these two words come to mind.
As Rahul Tewatia hit two sixes in successive deliveries against Punjab Kings, Pandya was as stunned in the dugout as the rest of the world. The only difference is – he was not at all as surprised as the onlookers, but he had a calm smile on his face. It was he who knew what Tevatia was capable of, just that he wasn’t sure it could be pulled off.
There was an atmosphere of celebration when Sanju Samson was run out. Pandya’s face, pointing and celebrating, almost moon-moving, excited at that straight hit, Pandya’s face said, “I got you, I got you.” Has anyone done a michael jackson jig dance on the cricket field?
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Of course, there’s also the odd explosion. Like against David Miller, he got himself run out for no fault of his partner. Or the peculiar hysteria when a fielder ignores his instructions and rushes into the field. So much so that, at times, he comes across a combined version of MS Dhoni’s ice and Virat Kohli’s fire. Across a whole range of emotions, however, Pandya is busy enjoying the life of a captain in the Indian Premier League.
That bit is important, and it only comes with success. Take Rohit Sharma for example. Mumbai Indians have faced five defeats on the bounce. Despite having several trophies in his cabinet, Rohit certainly isn’t smiling too much, or anyone else in his camp for that matter.
Or, take Ravindra Jadeja. He’s as friendly as the cricketers are concerned – cheerful, with a devilish attitude, and it all stems around his individual gameplay. Even in franchises like Chennai Super Kings, the additional responsibility of captaincy has reduced Jadeja to some extent. Four consecutive losses, and only one win – those two points must have inspired at least one smile.
There are ten teams in the IPL, ten captains, and each of them is following a different path. This is where individual gameplay merges into the bigger picture. At the same time, selfishness has to be sacrificed but only marginally, for one’s own performance is sometimes a candle to others. Just ask KL Rahul, and the pressure he has taken on Punjab Kings to be successful as a team at the same time while scoring runs as a leading batsman.
Ask the same question to Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson, and you might get some jitters. They’re only working on a couple seasons now, and that already seems like a lifetime. Like Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal is new to the club. Then there are Faf du Plessis and Kane Williamson, who are getting accustomed to the two franchises having different requirements in terms of fan expectations. How many of these names are really smiling?
Pandya is looking from top to bottom in the points table (at the time of writing), as Gujarat Titans are comfortably seated with eight points from five matches. In October 2021, when CVC Capital won the Ahmedabad franchise, the phone rang at Pandya’s house and Hardik was informed of his plans. Five months later, he is leading a table-topping team. Did he ever imagine such a start for the new IPL franchise? Maybe not!
Turn the clock of your memory and ask where was Hardik Pandya at that time? IPL 2021 had just ended, and it was a nostalgic season for him. Just 127 runs in 12 matches, and more importantly, didn’t bowl a single ball in anger. He was a part of the upcoming T20 World Cup, but more as a batsman than an all-rounder. Not much to write about that particular tournament except that both Team India and there Pandya need a T20 reset.
And that’s what the current IPL season is about. The captaincy might paint him a different colour, but first of all, it is about self-rediscovery for Hardik. Much has been made of his all-round prowess since time immemorial, and not without reason. It looked like he was sinking under a mountain of hope first and foremost being a Mumbai Indians player.
Gujarat Titans have done him a favor in this sense by snatching Pandya from the five-time champion. Mumbai is on a road to rebuild in search of its future superstar, while Hardik has to contend with the present. He just needs to be the best version of a cricketer for the upcoming World Cup in another six months. And this gives us an idea of what skipper Hardik Pandya has done for himself apart from taking his team to the top of the table after five matches.
In that sense, batting at number four is the best move. For one, it creates a double-pivot for the Titans’ batting order, with Shubman Gill at the top. With 228 runs in five matches, averaging 76 and two half-centuries, among the top five in the batting charts, the move is paying off.
For too long, Pandya has been suppressed as just a finisher. As Dhoni has always said, a finisher also needs time to move on. While Pandya doesn’t struggle with timing the ball, his hitting skills become more destructive as he spends more time at the crease. His last innings against Rajasthan Royals is an example.
Pandya scored 50 runs in 33 balls. Even by IPL standards, it was a healthy strike-rate of 151. Thereafter, he accelerated further, scoring 37 runs in just 19 balls. Pandya hit another three sixes (and two fours) as his strike-rate reached 195 for the latter part of his innings. It showed how Pandya could be doubly effective at number four – anchoring the innings while providing destructive power in the death overs.
Arguably, the best part of his resurgence in Gujarat has come with ball in hand. With 18.3 overs in five matches, almost his full quota, four wickets for 35 and economy 7.56 opening the bowling on most occasions, clocking 140-plus in a row – Pandya has reinvigorated the all-rounder in them.
And, this can only be good news for Indian cricket.
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