With the T20 World Cup 2024 squad selection looming, the performance of players in the ongoing IPL 2024 holds significant implications. Among the concerns surfacing from the first four weeks of the IPL is the performance of Hardik Pandya, Bharat’s prominent fast-bowling all-rounder.
Despite his pivotal role in the Indian limited-overs side, Pandya’s form for the Mumbai Indians has been less than stellar. In eight matches, he has managed only 151 runs at a strike rate of 142.45, a below-par performance for a middle-order batsman in T20 cricket. Similarly, with the ball, he has taken merely four wickets.
Former Indian cricket star Irfan Pathan voiced his apprehensions about Pandya’s diminishing hitting ability, particularly on pitches offering little assistance. Pathan’s remarks, shared on X, shows a growing concern regarding Pandya’s adaptability and effectiveness across different playing conditions.
“Hardik Pandya’s hitting ability is going down. That’s a big worry on a larger picture. At the Wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him,” wrote Irfan Pathan.
Moreover, former Indian cricket team player Robin Uthappa shed light on Pandya’s challenges during an episode of The Ranveer Show. Uthappa accentuated Pandya’s potential to be an all-time great for the Indian team but highlighted the emotional toll of the trolling and criticism he has faced, especially since assuming the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians.
“He is a guy, who has got the calibre and potential to be an all-time great for Indian team. He was let go by the team which discovered him, he went to another franchise. After winning 3-4 titles with them, he left. He must have felt a little bad; that will be there. He went to GT, won a title and finished runners-up in another. Then the conversation began,” remarked Robin Uthappa.
“The mocking, trolling and the memes about his fitness. You don’t think it hurts him? It hurts him. It hurts any human being. How many people actually know the reality of it? Hardik is dealing with mental health issues, for sure. We, as people, I understand, as Indians, we are emotional. But it is not right to impose this kind of treatment on any human being. It is unbecoming as a society for us to do that to someone and be okay with it. We should not be laughing along with it. We should not be forwarding these memes.”
Uthappa’s candid insights shed light on the mental health struggles Pandya might be facing amidst the pressure and scrutiny, urging for empathy and sensitivity towards athletes’ well-being.
As the IPL progresses and the T20 World Cup approaches, Pandya’s form and mental resilience remain topics of interest and concern among cricket enthusiasts and experts alike.
