When Hardik Pandya went down in the ninth over of the Bangladesh innings in Pune on October 19, it became a matter of national concern because it wasn’t just any player but Hardik Pandya. Someone who allows Rohit Sharma to operate with six bowlers and enjoy batting depth at the same time. Quite naturally, when an irreplaceable player limps off the field in pain it’s not a welcome sight for any team management.
A week ago, it didn’t look that bad from the outside and everyone in the management was hoping he would be back after resting for the game against New Zealand in Dharamsala. That, however, wasn’t the case and, as CricketNext reported, he is not only missing the game vs England in Lucknow but is unlikely for few more matches.
Pandya is under the watch of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team and hasn’t travelled with the team to Lucknow. While there hasn’t been an official update from the BCCI on his current status, it is learnt things aren’t looking good for now.
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After seeing visuals of the 30-year-old going down and then limping off the field, Gujarat Titans Chief Operating Officer (COO) Col. Arvinder Singh felt the pain. He knew his captain wouldn’t have access to his phone during the match but made sure to dial the number after the game got over. In a brief conversation, Singh conveyed the most important message to India’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
“In the field you know we saw what happened on the field. Obviously he wouldn’t have access to his phone at that point of time but I spoke with him after the game yeah and I just told him one thing I said you need to get back ASAP, India needs you, we all need you," says Singh in a chat with CricketNext.
Singh adds that Pandya brings a lot of value to the national team and hopes he will be back on the field soon and helps India win the World Cup.
“He is one of those few multi-dimensional players who brings in three of the best aspects of cricket whether it’s bowling batting or fielding. Look at the value that he brings to the national team. So pretty sure that he’ll be back on the field and doing what he does best and will help India lift the cup," adds Singh.
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‘Hardik is definitely special’
Gujarat Titans picked up Pandya when he was recovering from back injury and “wasn’t even playing cricket". Both franchise and the all-rounder then mutually agreed on captaincy bit. Prior to the GT stint, Pandya didn’t have any captaincy experience to talk about but GT always had faith in him.
“We got Hardik Pandya at a time when he was not even playing cricket. We then mutually decided with him that he’s going to be the skipper of the team when he had not lead anything. He is synonymous with Gujarat Titans as a brand, as a franchise. He is right up there. It just rings Gujarat Titans when you talk of Hardik Pandya. He’s special, he’s definitely special," says Singh.
With Pandya now missing his second World Cup game on the trot, the team management is hoping he stages a speedy recovery before the business end of the tournament begins. In his absence, India made two changes for the New Zealand game and brought Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav in the Playing XI. Shardul Thakur was dropped from the XI as the team went heavy on specialists for that game. While Shami starred with a fifer in Dharamsala, SKY was run-out cheaply.
This is one area which is going to be a matter of concern for Rohit Sharma & Co. because the team needs two players to fill in Pandya’s shoes. That’s what he brings to the table with both bat and ball and allows the captain to explore various combinations. For now, the Men in Blue are likely to stay on the specialist route and would hope the all-rounder returns to the mix soon to put their campaign back on the balanced road.
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