It has been a tough last few months for Team India and former Mumbai Indians all-rounder, Hardik Pandya as far as his form and fitness are concerned. Hardik, who hasn’t bowled in the last two seasons of the IPL due to the persistent back issue gave an update on his fitness saying that he is confident of a return as an all-rounder and all his preparation, planning are being done keeping that in mind.
Hardik was released by the Mumbai Indians after a lacklustre season in the 2021 edition and now has been picked by the new Ahmedabad franchise as the marquee player. The Gujarat-born lad will be making his captaincy debut in the cash-rich league after the team’s Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki announced the same while naming the side’s three draft picks.
Speaking on Backstage with Boria, when asked if he wants to be seen as an all-rounder, Hardik said, “Yes, that’s my plan. I want to play as an allrounder. My preparation, hard work is all about playing as an allrounder. If something goes bad then I don’t know. I am feeling good, strong and eventually, time will tell.”
Hardik, who made his debut under the leadership of MS Dhoni, will be leading an IPL franchise and talked about the legendary skipper’s role in his growth as a leader. The 28-year old said that when he came into the team he was very raw and Dhoni gave him a lot of freedom and gave him room to make mistakes.
“I have learned a lot from everyone, especially Mahi Bhai. When I went there [Indian team], I was a raw material. The way he groomed me — he gave me a lot of freedom. He wanted me to make my own mistakes and learn. I used to think why he is not saying a lot of things but later on, I realised that he wanted me to learn on my own so that I can survive more and harden,” the pace-bowling all-rounder said.
While shedding light on his leadership style, Hardik said that he wants to set an example and create a culture and an environment where everyone is comfortable. Along with Hardik, the Gujarat-based side named Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their other two picks.
