The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just 18 days away and the excitement is slowly starting to build as the majority of franchisees have started outdoor training and net sessions.
The IPL 2020 has gone through many uncertain times in the Coronavirus era, given that it was originally supposed to be played from March 29 onwards, but had to be postponed multiple times due to the rising cases of the virus in India.
However, the postponement of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia gave the BCCI a chance to host the IPL, albeit in the UAE this time. This has come as a huge relief to the franchises and the cricket fans who have been starved of the action since February onwards.
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Mumbai Indians’ all-rounder Hardik Pandya feels that the upcoming season of the T20 league will be a stress relief" for fans as they will "get the satisfaction that something nice is happening."
"I and my brother (Krunal Pandya) were talking during the COVID time and we were discussing that for the fans, the IPL will be a cherry because no one has seen cricket for a while and people have been in difficult times,” Hardik said.
"So this will be a stress relief for everyone as they will sit at 8 pm and watch the IPL for two months. So, everyone will get that satisfaction that something nice is happening. The fans will enjoy it," he explained.
Hardik also threw light on how he kept himself busy during the lockdown period.
"More excited than nervous because a good 10 months I have been training and looking forward to playing so the portion where the nervousness comes or the pressure comes has gone away. I am just more excited to be on the field and implement what I have worked on with regards to my training part, the practice sessions," Hardik told ANI.
"Luckily we made a gym in the house and due to COVID-19, we weren't allowed to go out of the house so we focused and realized a lot of things that we can improve more. Because of all that hard work and preparation and thought process, it is just that I am very excited to implement what I have worked on," Hardik explained.
Hardik had undergone back surgery to fix a long-standing issue and feels fitter than ever.
"To be honest, I look after my back now as well. But it is just that if I was 7/10 fit before, now with the back surgery and all, if I want to be the same or better than before, I had to increase my fitness one level. Throughout the COVID period and even before that, I was focusing to ensure that if without surgery I was at a level with my fitness, I had to be one level up,” he said.
“As you said, I need to do two things, so I keep that in mind. The trainers and all have helped me big time. Luckily I have got the right people in my life who have guided me pretty well," he added.
"It is completely dependent on how my body reacts. I have not decided anything and right now the number of months I have been out, I just want to keep playing sport as much as I can. But obviously there are my physios and trainers to take that call. Whichever opportunity I get, I will go out and play," Hardik said when asked about picking one format over another considering the workload.
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With the CSK camp experiencing 13 members testing positive for the COVID-19, Pandya believes it is all about following the guidelines set by the professionals and focusing on enjoying the upcoming tournament rather than panicking.
"For me, it is just simple. Follow what the health officials say and follow what the team management says. I let the professionals do their work and if they say that we should look after certain things, I think we should just follow that and be on track," Hardik said.
"I realized one thing during these seven days of isolation that we have all been working hard for a long time. But one person can ruin everyone's hard work over the last 3-4 months. So, we are only focusing on cricket right now because MI is taking care of the rest," he added.
(ANI inputs)
