Hardik rises again, as the leader

MUMBAI: A few days before IPL-15, Hardik Pandya was on way to Bengaluru for a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy.

Pandya hadn’t played competitive cricket after the 2021 T20 World Cup where he drew a lot of flak following India’s early exit. Many fans and experts felt that the all-rounder wasn’t fit and that had prevented him from bowling in the opener against Pakistan. In the games he did bowl, against Afghanistan and New Zealand, Pandya was below par. Since a back surgery in October 2019, Pandya played predominantly as a batter, for India as well as for Mumbai Indians. In the BCCI central contracts, he had been demoted from Grade A to C.

So, debutants Gujarat Titans surprised many by naming this flamboyant player as captain. No doubt, he was an ideal T20 player: a dynamic batter and a useful pace bowler. But Pandya had no prior experience of captaincy. The demands on an IPL captain are massive: you are bouncing from one meeting to another, dealing with the owners’ expectations and meeting the franchise’s numerous sponsors’ commitments.

Pandya has proved detractors wrong, and how! On Tuesday, Titans won the top-of-the-table clash against Lucknow Super Giants to become the first team to clinch a playoff berth.

Solid unit

Pandya has built Titans into a formidable unit. And he has done it without a star-studded roster. After the auction, the discussion was mainly about the smart buys of Lucknow, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. No one was talking up Titans’ chances.

Rashid Khan was the only star name in the Titans’ line-up. Everyone was puzzled about the balance of the franchise. Who will open with Shubman Gill? Who will be the glue between the top-order and the lower-orjoseph der? As it turned out, Titans have found the perfect fit for each spot.

Aside from occupying the crucial No. 4 spot and taking more responsibility with the bat – he has aggregated 344 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 131.80 with three half-centuries – Pandya has been astute tactically too. Of their three defeats in 12 games, only once were they comprehensively beaten, against Punjab Kings by eight wickets. In T20, you need to win close games and Titans’ last-over wins this season have included one off the last ball (Punjab), with one ball left (Chennai), two balls left (Lucknow) and by eight runs against Kolkata.

The Titans skipper proved himself early in the tournament. In their second match, against Delhi Capitals, defending a total of 171, the way Pandya marshalled bowling resources towards the end was brilliant. At the start of the 15th over, Capitals were 118/4 with Rishabh Pant set on 43 off 28 balls. With Capitals needing 54 runs from 36 balls, the pressure was on Pandya. His move to bring on Lockie Ferguson proved to be the gamechanger. The fast bowler got Pant first ball and the dangerous Axar Patel at the end of the over.

When they needed 30 from 18 balls, he brought on Mohammed Shami who got two wickets in two balls, including the dangerous Rovman Powell, who was well set on 20 off 12 balls. With Delhi needing 27 off 12 balls, Pandya bowled and conceded just three to help Titans win by 14 runs.

On IPL captaincy debut, versus Lucknow Super Giants, Pandya made an instant impact through Shami. Sensing that his pace spearhead was on song on a lively Wankhede Stadium track, he bowled Shami three overs on the trot. Shami grabbed three wickets – KL Rahul first ball, Quinton de Kock in the second over and Manish Pandey in the fifth. The early blows helped to restrict Lucknow to 158/6, which Titans chased with Pandya at No. 4 absorbing the early pressure to build the platform with

an innings of 33 off 28 balls.

Following Dhoni’s mantra

After being named captain, Pandya had mentioned how he looked up to MS Dhoni for inspiration. As the tournament progressed, he has evolved as leader. In the earlier games there were occasions when he would let frustration show even with senior players such as Shami and Miller. He appears calmer now.

Another example of Pandya’s adept marshalling of resources was seen against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 23. Batting first, Titans were clearly 10-12 runs short when they posted 156/9. But they fought back to restrict KKR to 148/8, one of the lowest scores defended in the tournament. To keep up the pressure, Pandya took a chance by using his main bowlers in the middle overs.

By the 18th over of the innings, Rashid Khan, Ferguson and Shami had finished their quota. He took a gamble on the inexperienced Yash Dayal and Alzarri to bowl the final two. The young bowlers lived up to the task, defending 29. Dayal conceded just 11, while Joseph gave 9 runs in the 20th.

Another quality which has shone through is that he hasn’t hesitated to experiment, challenge the team. Titans have developed a reputation as chase masters but when he won the toss against Punjab Kings on May 3, Pandya opted to bat. The plan backfired and Titans were routed. Pandya didn’t give up on the idea though. Against LSG, in Titans’ last game, he again experimented with batting first, this time defending 144/4.

After losing their game against Mumbai Indians on May 6, when they failed to close out the game from an advantageous position, there was a fear of losing momentum. Against LSG on Tuesday, Pandya demanded and got ruthlessness from his players. “I think all the games that we’ve won, we were always under pressure. The last game (against Mumbai) was the only game that we were ahead and we knew with the kind of batters that we have we would finish it off. But it did not happen,” said Pandya. “That was the talk of the group. Even in this game (against LSG) when they were eight down, I said, ‘let’s be ruthless ... If it’s not over, it’s not over. So let’s make sure we finish it. If they’re down, let’s keep them down, get this done and relax post-game’.”

Key to him again being the feared T20 player he was known to be is fitness. After the World Cup, Pandya has trained with single-mindedness. He stayed in Baroda and worked with a personal trainer and brother Krunal. He had set his own goals and till they were reached, Pandya didn’t want to be considered for India.

Those close to him say with marriage and parenthood he has matured, which has helped him take the career lows in his stride.

With the 2022 T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia in October and November, Pandya looks good to bounce back from the setback of the last edition.