It goes without saying that Hardik Pandya is the most important member of India’s white-ball sides, even if he doesn’t contribute to the game.
Hardik Pandya does everything India wants him to in white-ball formats. They ask him to bowl with the new ball as a first-change and then in death overs with the ball. They promote him up the order or keep him down to hit pacers.
It goes without saying that Hardik is the most important member of India’s white-ball sides. His mere availability helps India find that precise balance and cover everything they want without compromising depth. That Hardik is also a consistent performer makes him an indispensable asset.
His bowling performances in the first two matches of this Champions Trophy 2025 describe his qualities more than anything. India have used him as a first-change pacer in both games, but Hardik’s role has varied in both outings. The all-rounder has adapted to both situations comfortably, as India have been used to.
In the first game against Bangladesh, Hardik Pandya started his spell in the 10th over when Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana had completed their first set. The track had started slowing down and new-ball pacers had extracted everything available in the air. So, Hardik immediately went for pace-off deliveries, asking Bangladesh to make pace from their end and target the big side.
In that game, Hardik bowled 35.71% slower balls in his first spell by keeping his lengths shorter because the new-ball bowlers had done their job of bringing wickets upfront. So, his task was to control the flow of runs and tempt the batters to take risks to avoid further pressure.
The second game against Pakistan had a different tale. Hardik had to come early to bowl due to an injury to Shami, who could only bowl three overs. Hardik knew the ball was still new and had to retain the pace.
In contrast to the first game, Hardik bowled only 5.40% slower balls and drew 37.83% false shots in his first spell. He occasionally moved the ball and covered up for Shami’s absence. He also helped to get the first wicket after a stable start by the opponents, which allowed India to come back into the contest.
Since 2023, Hardik has averaged 24.88 in 14 innings as a first-change bowler and 27 in five outings as a second-change bowler in ODIs. In between, he has also played four matches as a new-ball bowler. So, he has done everything India have wanted and done exceedingly well.
Hardik’s bowling workload might be reduced due to Axar’s presence, but the fact that India can still call upon him whenever they need breakthroughs is enough to know his true value.
Be it the T20 World Cup 2024 final or the latest fixture against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC tournament, Hardik has made an immediate impact with the ball and given an opening to his team. He can move the new ball, hit the deck hard, or bowl cutters as per the team’s requirements.
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Amidst all this, it’s worth noting that bowling is not even his stronger suit. He is a dynamite batter who can be used anywhere in the batting order. For instance, India promoted Hardik to No.5 against Pakistan and they knew they could mould him in any shape they wanted.
However, these two matches have been about Hardik’s bowling. For now, this will look simple, but it is not. Filling the slot of a specialist bowler is not as easy as it seems, but the bar is too high for Hardik.
Everyone expects Hardik to be a specialist in both departments when that is not the role of an all-rounder. Generally, the role of all-rounders is to fill in during light phases and become an additional option. Even the brightest guns like Nitish Kumar Reddy are nowhere close to what Hardik offers in every department and that’s the general criteria.
Any team will take Nitish as their main all-rounder. But Hardik has set lofty standards and made everyone believe that all-rounders must do the tough part. No other team in international cricket has an all-rounder as consistent and impactful as Hardik.
As the pitches become more tiring, his cutters with the ball and power-hitting with the bat come into play. But these two matches have shown Hardik Pandya will find a way to leave his mark, even if specialists do their job. That’s what he has done all these years and it’s not surprising at this point.
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