Ever since the retirement of legendary Kapil Dev in 1994, Indian cricket was in desperate need for a pace bowling all-rounder. There were many that made their name for a brief period of time, but none went on to play for a considerable period of time. No wonder, Indian cricket fans cherish every bit of their seam bowling all-rounder, Hardik Pandya.
After proving his mettle in the limited-overs cricket, Pandya gradually made his mark in the 5-day game as well. Having recorded a 86-ball ton in his debut Test series against Sri Lanka last year, Hardik claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in the traditional format during the England tour earlier this year.
Just like any other seasoned cricketer, Pandya’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the support and faith of his seniors. And the Baroda all-rounder very much acknowledged this fact in his recent interview with timesnownews.com. He highlighted the roles of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in shaping up his career.
“MS was someone who didn’t talk much and let us do what we loved to do. He never changed my game. Dhoni was someone who was very important to me as I was raw, I was learning. That was the time where with my personality, I had to evolve. And he gave me the time to understand my role. With Virat, it’s different. Virat backed me big time even when my days were not good, when I was not performing well and eventually I succeeded,” Pandya said.
“Rohit is someone who is fantastic. He doesn’t make you feel that he is the captain. He lets you do what you want to do. He is chilled out. All three are different but fantastic in their areas. I love playing under them. MS was someone who I started my career with. If MS was not there, it would have been a different story with my life. Virat is someone who has helped me grow big time and I have grown my career with Rohit,” he added.
Hardik, who has played under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid for India A in 2016, also shared his experience of working with the legend.
“To be honest, he is someone, who doesn't let any thought come to your mind. He lets you play your natural game - which is a fantastic thing. As a player, I would love to have that freedom, where I can express myself and play naturally, no pressure given. He doesn’t change anything. He played his cricket in a different style but he doesn’t mind us playing in our own style. We are glad that someone so senior, a legend who is a coach is asking to play as per the situation,” he asserted.
When asked to point out his most memorable performance for India, Pandya commented: “I think the 83 against Australia in Chennai would be my most memorable performance as I also got two wickets. There are lots of them actually. I always see the winning cause. So even the fifer which I took against England in England in Test matches. I scored a fifty in that match as well. 100 against Sri Lanka as well – because it again came in a winning cause. Then, against England in T20Is recently, I scored 33 off 11 balls and took four wickets.”
“I don't actually sit and think about my most memorable performances. I would be happy if my team wins and I do nothing. For me, my team should win, no matter what happens. Obviously, my goal is to do well, because then it helps the team but if someone tells me that my team will win and I won’t do anything, I would be quite happy. Because in the end, I know my team backs me. It’s a team game and I love to play it as a team sport. I love to contribute as much as I can in any way – it might be fielding, batting or bowling. That’s how I play my game and that’s how everyone should, because, at the end of the day, it’s a team sport,” he further said.
Talking about his favourite cricketer from India and overseas, Pandya named Dhoni and the Proteas batting maverick AB de Villiers.
“MS Dhoni from India. Overseas I would say AB de Villiers. I love to watch the way he bats, the way he carries himself, the way he fields. MS is someone I don’t even need to speak about. I love to be around him. I love to learn from him and Virat as well. The hard work he does. One thing I would love to take from Virat is consistency. The discipline he has in his life for the game is fantastic. And MS is different as well. He is still the same guy after achieving so much,” he explained.
Pandya was out of action since last three months. He had suffered a back injury during the Asia Cup 2018 in a group-stage clash against Pakistan. The 25-year-old was taken off the field on a stretcher. Luckily, Pandya recovered well and proved his match fitness by playing for Baroda against Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy clash earlier this month. Just a day ago, Hardik was named in India’s ODI and T20I squads for the tours of Australia and New Zealand.
With 2019 World Cup is around the corner, Pandya also talked about India’s chances and their biggest competitors in the marquee event.
“No one. If India plays to its potential, no one can prove to be a threat to us. You always try to fight and be better than what you are right now. I have always believed in that. As a team, we should play proper cricket and we will get the World Cup,” he concluded.
