Hardik Pandya and the relentless pursuit of an all-rounder

Hardik Pandya (PTI Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Nearly an hour after placing in the arduous yards, Arshdeep Singh put his hoodie on and sipped a sizzling beverage whereas strolling round the change room at the ICC Academy in Dubai. He had had an in depth warm-up, participated in the fielding drill and bowled full tilt for round 45 minutes earlier than placing his ft up.
Not removed from him stood Hardik Pandya, who adopted an analogous routine, however was solely half carried out. The all-rounder rapidly unpacked his kitbag after the hydration break and inside no time had the batting gear on. He walked into the nets and smoked deliveries proper out of the center of his blade whereas going through a mixture of spin, seam and throwdowns. It wasn’t a one-off however one thing which he has adopted in every of India’s apply periods throughout the Champions Trophy.
Pandya is one-of-a-kind!
He can stroll into any worldwide limited-overs XI on his batting or bowling abilities alone and the final couple of weeks have given a sneak peek into how he stays razor sharp. There’s a handy narrative in opposition to the all-rounder that he’s damage inclined, cannot deal with quite a bit of workload, has a fragile physique however he continues to be the clutch participant any captain would welcome with open arms.
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Lots of effort goes behind conserving the skill-set and health ranges excessive and the 31-year-old has solely turn into extra cautious about his routines after the again surgical procedure and the freak damage throughout the 2023 ODI World Cup. A participant begins understanding his physique higher after bouts like these and that has been the case with Pandya too. The self-discipline and arduous yards will not be restricted to his coaching periods or match routines however have trickled all the way down to his general life-style.

There has been an added emphasis on eating regimen, portion controls and the significance of enough consumption of fluids. Even when he’s away on business commitments or on advert shoots, the 31-year-old does not compromise along with his consuming routine and the wide selection of sippers he carries guarantee the hydration recreation stays robust. One such sipper was even noticed throughout the drinks break in opposition to Pakistan.
India have bowled underneath the harsh solar of their Champions Trophy video games versus Pakistan, Bangladesh and there was no drop in depth throughout Pandya’s spells or actions in the center. One of the most secure arms and quickest movers in the squad, he finds himself in the hotpots very often however the strategy has remained aggressive with excessive power ranges. Skill smart, there wasn’t any doubt round Pandya and even when there have been few query marks on his health, he has answered them one recreation at time.

Hardik Pandya bats in the nets. (PTI Photo)

The ankle damage throughout the group phases of the 2023 World Cup was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the sport and even the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) obtained in a huddle after the freak occasion conserving the long run goal in thoughts. The all-rounder was put underneath a 18-week excessive efficiency programme by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) the place completely different approaches have been applied and each day was designed to swimsuit a particular objective. The temptation to play him in inconsequential bilateral video games was averted throughout that interval and the larger image of the white-ball fixtures in the 2024-2026 cycle was stored as precedence.
He has returned stronger, with quite a bit of lean muscle mass on the physique, and has featured in bilaterals, T20 World Cup, full season of the IPL for Mumbai Indians and home video games for Baroda. The home recreation time actually helped him rediscover his huge hitting mojo as he was at his belligerent finest with the bat, and took the confidence into the residence collection in opposition to England in January-February.

For once-in-a-generation-players, it is all the time the larger image which all stakeholders take note of. And Pandya has been that sort of a participant. He is sort of a Ferrari racing alongside the motorway and everybody needs the gas tank lasts as a lot as a daily sedan’s would.