India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has seen quite a few ups and downs in the past year. He suffered a painful back injury in September 2018 while playing against Pakistan in one of the Asia Cup encounters, and was subsequently ruled out for three months. After regaining his fitness, Hardik rejoined Team India on the tour of Australia in January but his misogynistic comments on the popular TV show "Koffee with Karan" saw him being asked to return home midway through the series Down Under and he was provisionally suspended by the BCCI.
That ban was later revoked and Hardik returned to the field during the tour of New Zealand. His injury once again resurfaced before the limited-overs series versus Australia at home, but the fighter in him did not give up.
The 25-year-old made a stellar comeback in the Indian Premier League 2019. He was instrumental in Mumbai Indians’ fourth IPL triumph, scoring 402 runs and claiming 14 wickets from 16 matches.
Seeing his all-round exploits from the close quarters, MI’s fielding coach Jonty Rhodes has lauded Pandya for handling setbacks well.
"He is a player with enormous hunger. I remember when his brother Krunal burst into the scene, Hardik got dropped. I told him that this was going to be his biggest test. It's not about bowling a superb bouncer or hitting sixes to finish off games. I told him 'if you can bounce back after your brother has taken your place in the side, especially since you are seen as the rockstar of Mumbai Indians, then nothing like it.' He handled the phase really well," Rhodes quoted as saying by Deccan Herald on Saturday (May 25).
The former South African cricketer felt Hardik’s personality allows people to jump to conclusions very easily.
"As a fielding coach, I was worried about Hardik's focus. He came across as someone who would take a selfie with a guy or a girl in the stands. Or someone who is worried about his hat or hair. When the crowd gets going, it's hard to keep your mind in the game sometimes. But Pandya focuses a lot. Look, he has had a lot of distractions that could have dragged him down. But thankfully, he is a sensible boy from a sensible family. He has matured a lot as a player, to become a good finisher and now ticks all the boxes for an all-rounder," he explained.
Besides Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah also played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ historic IPL 2019 triumph and Rhodes showered rich praise on the Indian speedster.
"It's amazing how quickly Bumrah has gone from an understudy to Lasith Malinga to someone superior to the Sri Lankan pacer at Mumbai Indians. Bumrah's action is different, difficult for those playing him the first time. Also, Malinga lost quite a bit of pace and his slower ball became a bit ineffective. Bumrah is a smart operator, who was groomed well by John Wright and Shane Bond at Mumbai Indians. He just keeps getting better and better and that's good news for India," he said.
