The way Hardik Pandya showed his determination and resilience to bowl the last over of the game during the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa at the Kensington Oval, in Barbados, defending 16 runs against David Miller, deserves a lot of praise.
At the end of the Hardik Pandya became the hero of the nation, but there was the fear of him being the villain of the country, had he not been able to hold his calm, had Suryakumar Yadav not grabbed that catch, or had Pandya himself wouldn’t have dismissed Heinrich Klassen in the death over to pull the game back in India’s court.
The last few months haven’t been easy for Hardik Pandya, on and off the field, having gone through tough times captaining the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, where they finished with the wooden spoon under his captaincy.
‘Everything Hardik Pandya touches turns to gold’- Mohammad Kaif
When MI announced the return of Hardik to the franchise, where he started his career and showed the world what is he made of, there was a sense of different feeling among the fans, and once he was adjusted as the captain of the side, removing Rohit Sharma, the most successful leader of the side having gifted them the five IPL titles, the fans didn’t take that announcement on a positive note.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Thanks PM Narendra Modi For Rich Praise After T20 World Cup Win
By the in 2022, Hardik Pandya had already led the Gujarat Titans in two seasons, where they finished at the top spot, with 10 wins each in consecutive editions. In their very first season of the tournament, the Titans became the champions of the league, while in 2023, they fell short by a close margin to end up as the runners-up.
Once Hardik Pandya shifted his base to Mumbai, the structure of that team too was destroyed. In the very first game of the IPL 2024, the Ahmedabad crowd didn’t welcome him on a good note, as they booed him.
The very first game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was another example of how brutal the incident was slowly turning out to be, which affected the all-rounder’s form with both bat and ball. The right-hander could smash only 216 runs in 14 innings, at an average of only 18 and a strike rate of 143.05, with a best score of 46. In the bowling department, Pandya finished with only 11 wickets in 14 games, at an economy of 10.75, at an average of under 36.
There were questions about whether he should be dropped from the T20 World Cup squad, but both Rohit Sharma and the selectors showed belief in his skills, and Pandya stood up with his performances.
There was that game against Pakistan when he took a vital wicket of Fakhar Zaman to deny the opponents a chance of making a comeback in the game, as India went on to win the game. Even in the final against the Proteas, Hardik Pandya wasn’t having a great day with the ball. But he came back to make Klassen chase the wide ball and sent him back into the hut.
Also Read: ‘Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid Have Got A 100…’- Sunil Gavaskar
He ended with 11 scalps in eight innings, at an economy of 7.64, where he used his variations quite smartly to fox the batters. Even with the bat in hand, he showed his power in vital situations, whether it’s against Bangladesh with the fifty, or the back-to-back sixes against England in the semifinal to get the right momentum.
‘What a comeback for Hardik after getting booed in the IPL. Match-winning contribution with the bat in the Super 8s and crucial wickets of Klassen and Miller in the Final.’ The former India batter Mohammad Kaif expressed on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter. ‘Make him wear the Indian blue and everything he touches turns to gold. True India champion.’
Hardik Pandya now can aim to become the next T20I captain of the Indian team, after the retirement of Rohit Sharma.