Hardik Pandya’s stocks have grown by leaps and bounds in the last two years. After he proved his leadership skills by guiding Gujarat Titans (GT) to the IPL 2022 title, the all-rounder was appointed India’s T20I captain last year.
Pandya recently took charge of the Indian team during the second and third ODIs against West Indies after Rohit Sharma was rested to try out different combinations.
In the ongoing Asia Cup, Hardik is performing the role of Rohit’s deputy and the former has been designated as the vice-captain for the 2023 World Cup as well.
However, one of the major debates surrounding the 29-year-old star is his continual absence from Test cricket.
While Hardik made a successful comeback to white-ball cricket after going through back surgery in 2019, he hasn’t featured in the longest format since August 2018. Earlier this year, the multi-skilled cricketer ruled himself out of the Test selection reckoning, saying it would be unfair to take someone’s place without making any contribution to India’s WTC final journey.
Amid the debate, Hardik Pandya has once again spoken about his workload management, explaining why he has to work “twice or thrice” more than any other player in the Indian team.
“As an all-rounder, my workload is twice or thrice as anyone else. When a batter in the team goes and bats and finishes his batting and is heading home, I’ll still be bowling after that. So for me, all the managing, all the pushing, and everything happens during the sessions or my training or my pre-camp season,” Hardik said on Star Sports' Follow the Blues.
“When the game arrives, it is more about whatever the team requires, and the managing side goes out of the park, and it is more practical calls that how many overs are needed for me. Because if 10 overs are not needed, there is no point in me bowling 10 overs, but if 10 overs are needed, then I’ll be bowling. I always believed that I give myself a chance to succeed, which is by reading the game, which is by backing myself because I have always believed that when we go as a believer, when I'm standing there, yes, my ten players, my ten brothers are around me, but at the same point of time I’m alone.”
Being an all-rounder, Hardik feels it is important for him to have confidence in his skills and believe that he is “the best.”
"When bowling, I have to back myself to the fullest because the opposition, the batter, they want me to make a mistake. At the same point of time, as a batter, yes, two people are batting, he is there with me fighting, but there are also eleven on the ground against me, and at the same point of time, it could be the crowd or anything.
“So what I have realized is that no matter what happens, you have to back yourself, you have to believe that you are the best in the world. That does not guarantee you success, but at the same point of time, it does give you and it does guide you to work towards success, so practically back yourself.”
