Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has on Saturday (August 2) heaped praise on the all-rounder Hardik Pandya, saying the Baroda star has improved magnificently over the years while claiming there is a huge difference in his batting than it was four years ago.
Pandya, who recently became a proud father of a son with wife Natasa Stankovic, has been one of India’s preferred options as an all-rounder in the team given his hard-hitting ability apart from being a talented bowler. However, he has been out of action due to a back injury after the 2019 World Cup.
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He was to return to Indian set-up in the three-match ODI series against South Africa in March, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, he is now set to return to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 to be held in the UAE for the Mumbai Indians after a lengthy break.
Speaking in the latest episode of Star Sports’ Cricket Connected chat show, Chawla said: “If you talk about the changes, then the Hardik Pandya that was there 4 years ago and the way he is batting in the last 2 years, there is a huge difference.”
He further added, “As a bowler, you need to prepare very well because you know that the margin of error is very small now, compared to what it was 4 years ago. If the ball is slightly off-target, whether too full or short, then he doesn’t spare you.”
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Meanwhile, former India pacer Ashish Nehra believes that the responsibility of being a father would help him to become an even more responsible cricketer.
Nehra said on the show: “If you talk about Hardik Pandya, he got more responsible after marriage. After fatherhood, he will get one more responsibility. Because my experience was that life does not change much after marriage, but once kids enter your life, life changes a lot.”
He signed off by saying, “Although in my case when you talk about the sleepless night, I used to sleep peacefully my wife did not sleep. Because I had gone for the T20 World Cup in West Indies. So, I have seen them quite less. My wife only has made them grow. But once you have kids, you feel a different sort of responsibility and I don’t think Hardik Pandya will be any different.”
(With Star Sports Inputs)
