Hardik Pandya: From Super Striker to Super Calculated Striker, Gujarat Titans captain turns a corner

Mumbai, April 15: When Hardik Pandya was announced as captain of Gujarat Titans prior to the IPL 2022, there were many surprised and sarcastic reactions. After all, his was a name that hardly featured in anybody’s wish-list to captain the new franchise.

There are multiple reasons.

1. His fitness as no one really gave a clear picture. Why would an IPL franchise risk to appoint a player whose fitness remained a mystery?

2. Hardik’s carefree image. He was deemed to be too flashy, too indisciplined to handle a big task like captaincy that involves several touch points like team meetings, motivational skills, man management etc.

But as the IPL 2022 is gradually maturing to the halfway stage, the Gujarat Titans are on top of the table with 8 points or four wins from 5 matches, including that heart-stopping thriller against Punjab Kings.

Hardik Pandya has led the GT batting with 228 runs from 5 matches at an average of 76 and at a strike-rate that is a shade over 136, and at this stage he is the second highest run-getter in the IPL 2022 behind Jos Buttler.

The second figure showing the strike-rate is quite remarkable because it is way less than his career strike-rate of 151.33. In Mumbai Indians, Hardik had a different role while batting often at No 6, vandalise the bowlers in the last 4 or 5 overs and transform the team’s total from healthy to robust.

Often those lightning quick 30 or 40 runs made immeasurable difference to the eventual outcome of Mumbai Indians matches too.

But with the Titans, his role is different. Hardik bats at No 4 for them and has consumed more balls in the first 10 overs than in any previous seasons of the IPL since 2015, the year in which he broke into the league.

Hardik came to bat when GT were reeling at 15 for 2 after 2.5 overs. Some of us might just have thought of Hardik meeting fire with fire and he is every inch capable too.

But Hardik was totally non-recognisable in his approach as he batted 52 balls and remained not out for 87. "I have been in this situation where I have taken the role of scoring 12-ball 30. It is difficult but now at four I can control the game," said Hardik in the post-match presentation.

“I am not used to batting this long. It gives me a lot of time. I can calculate and take risks,” he added.

His 87 was proof of what he was telling. Hardik’s innings helped GT to reach a par 192 for 4 and then he came back to dismiss James Neesham for 17 while bowling the crucial 18th over, also stressing that external factors like cramps or a finger niggle do not hinder him in the quest for a win.

Captaincy, perhaps, has infused in him a new sense of responsibility in him and he is relishing it. "Captaincy is fun and it allows me to take responsibility and be the flag-bearer. The group carries one another. My motto was I wanted everyone to be happy, " said Hardik.

But there will be days when his or others’ performance would not come off in the desired way. It has already happened once when Hardik himself could not tee off and made a 42-ball 50 that invited shards of criticisms.

Hardik has showed that he has the ability to compartmentalise, put the odd bad days behind him and come back stronger. It has served the Gujarat Titans well in the IPL 2022 so far.

In the year of T20 World Cup, this matured, self-aware Hardik, now a cool, calculated destroyer, is a massive boost for India too.