HARDIK PANDYA: Players like Nitish Rana and Hardik Pandya are the next breed of Indian T20 batsmen; not as classical as Manish Pandey and Lokesh Rahul but less refined and more powerful. Hardik’s innings vs Kolkata and Pune is deeply enticing and just what the T20 is about giving a depth to the camps lower batting order.
Pandya was the star for Mumbai Indians as his 15-ball-35 took the two-time winners to 184/8 in the first game. But loss came over, though in next one vs Kolkata the team was taken over the line by quickfire innings. The tormenter-in-chief,
Pandya took six off the first two balls; Suryakumar Yadav misfielded to concede a four. Next ball, he aired one towards deep square leg but Rishi Dhawan couldn’t hold on to it. Needing three runs off two balls, Pandya swatted the ball towards the fine-leg fence to pull off a sensational chase.