The flamboyant Indian all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, has had a downfall in his career after his injury. His poor form in the last ten months, including his batting form in the IPL, is a sign of worry for the Indian Cricket team. He has not been able to bowl regularly, which has led to his exclusion from the longest format of the game as well. After a poor performance in the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, he has now been excluded from the New Zealand series as well.
Hardik Pandya’s T20I career
The prolific all-rounder from Gujarat made his mark in the international circuit after his stupendous performances in the IPL. Pandya first made his mark as a batter, but his fast-bowling skills also proved very vital in the shortest format of the game. Pandya has been the first choice fast-bowling all-rounder option for team India in the past few years.
He provides balance in the squad, and his batting has brought depth to this magnificent Indian team. Pandya has scored 553 runs at a stunning strike rate of 146.29 and has been the finisher for the team, with MS Dhoni alongside him for a few years. His bowling has been crucial as he has been the sixth bowling option for his captain and has picked up crucial breakthroughs throughout his career. In 47 innings, he has picked up 42 wickets at a decent average of 27.40 and an economy rate of 8.23.
A roller-coaster ride: Pandya’s injury concerns
Pandya has been the perfect all-rounder that team India had been searching for for years, but his injury in 2019 during an Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka has dealt a huge blow to his career. The fast bowling all-rounder has had a poor run since his injury and hasn’t been able to bowl regularly since then. Before the injury, he took 33 wickets in 34 matches at an excellent economy rate of 7.97.
His returns with the ball after his injury haven’t been pleasant for him. He has just picked up nine wickets in 13 matches at a poor average of 80.75. Pandya not bowling in the shortest format has disturbed the flexibility of the team. With none of the top-order batters bowling, the sixth bowling option has become almost non-existent. Pandya’s selection in the team as a pure batter has raised many questions as it has unsettled the team’s stability and limited the captain’s options in bowling. He was selected in this year’s T20 World Cup mainly as a batter and, he did bowl a bit but wasn’t as effective as before.
Replacement options for Hardik Pandya
In addition to his injury issues, his poor run in the IPL and this year’s T20 World Cup have been a setback for the all-rounder. He has now been excluded from the ongoing New Zealand series, and team India would want to look at some exciting talents who can replace Pandya as the perfect bowling all-rounder who can also be a versatile batter. Shardul Thakur is at the top of this list as he did showcase his skills in the longest format of the game and the One Day Internationals. He has a knack for picking up wickets, and he can hit the big shots too. Thakur has done this many times in the domestic circuit and also a few times in the IPL. He is a terrific all-rounder with 3661 runs and 145 wickets in T20 cricket. Currently, he is one of the best options to replace Pandya.
Deepak Chahar is another good replacement option as he brings a great mixture of new-ball bowling along with some good lower-order batting skills. Chahar has been a good T20 bowler ever since his CSK days. Chahar has also bowled well in the blue Indian colors, and he has the best figures for India in T20Is. Recently, he displayed his batting abilities against Sri Lanka in a 50-over game, where he scored a match-winning knock of 69. He has achieved this in domestic cricket as well, scoring 3023 runs. He is a magnificent new ball bowler and has recently developed as an efficient death bowler as well. He has collected 128 wickets at an extraordinary economy rate of 7.54. Chahar is surely a good option with both bat and ball, and if given more opportunities, he has the potential to become a good all-rounder for India in the future.
Another impressive young lad who can be the future of the Indian Cricket Team and can not only replace Pandya but also become one of the better all-rounders in the world is Venkatesh Iyer. The southpaw from Madhya Pradesh is more of a batting all-rounder but has shown his glimpses of excellence in IPL 2021. He was a star with the bat for Kolkata, and he gave them explosive starts at the top of the order. He also was more than a useful bowler, as he clicked 140 km/hr and picked up crucial wickets. He is an economical bowler, as he has an astonishing economy rate of 6.84 in T20 cricket. He can certainly become the star fast bowling all-rounder that India needs, if properly groomed.
Conclusion
The injury to Hardik Pandya and his decline as an all-rounder in the shorter formats has been a sign of concern for Indian cricket. He is one of the most talented players produced by India, however, his poor form with the bat and inability to bowl consistently have raised many questions in selectors’ minds.
India will likely experiment with a few options, and the new coaching staff will consider adding a fast-bowling all-rounder to the side, who would add stability to the side and also act as an X-factor in the white ball formats. Pandya’s place is in doubt, but the skills and the ability the all-rounder exhibits, are rare to find. Hardik would hope for a good IPL season. He would want to make a strong comeback and secure his place in the Indian team as the premier fast-bowling all-around option.