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Hardik Pandya, the vice-captain of Team India, talked about how his workload is twice or thrice in comparison to other players in the team as an all-rounder, before the highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan comes to a head on September 10, Sunday. During his interview on Star Sports, the 29-year-old mentioned that while a batter heads home after practising his batting skills, he has to put more time on his bowling skills, to get match ready afterwards.
During the first two matches of the Asia Cup 2023 in Group A, Hardik Pandya scored a vital 87 off 90 balls with seven fours and one maximum against Pakistan, when India were in a precarious position in their batting innings. In his next outing against Nepal, he bowled eight overs, registering figures of 1-34 with three maidens.
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After making his return from the career-threatening back injury, Hardik Pandya reinvented himself as a cricketer to take up the responsibility of leading Team India in the shortest format of the game, apart from utilising his all-round skills to the best of his ability. In his interview with Star Sports, Hardik Pandya discussed the hard work he needs to put in, to play for the Indian cricket team, and said, as per NDTV Sports, “As an all-rounder, my workload is twice or thrice as anyone else.”
“When a batter in the team goes and bats and finishes his batting and is heading home, I'll still be bowling after that. So for me, all the managing, all the pushing, and everything happens during the sessions or my training or my pre-camp season. When the game arrives, it is more about whatever the team requires, and the managing side goes out of the park, and it is more practical calls that how many overs are needed for me,” he added.
The Baroda-born cricketer also spoke about how bowling 10 overs for him depends on the team’s requirement. He was quoted as saying, “Because if 10 overs are not needed, there is no point in me bowling 10 overs, but if 10 overs are needed, then I'll be bowling.”
Hardik Pandya also touched upon his mantra of success during the Star Sports interview. The 29-year-old remarked, “I always believed that I give myself a chance to succeed, which is by reading the game, which is by backing myself because I have always believed that when we go as a believer, when I'm standing there, yes, my ten players, my ten brothers are around me, but at the same point of time I'm alone.”
