Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard said he was ‘sick and fed up’ of people picking on Hardik Pandya after the side went down in Sunday’s El Clasico against fellow five-time IPL title-holders Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
It was Pandya’s last over, in which MS Dhoni cracked three successive sixes to milk 26 runs and propelled CSK to an unlikely 206. That total eventually made the difference in the 20-run loss for MI despite Rohit Sharma scoring an unbeaten 105.
Also during MI’s chase, when Pandya walked in to bat, the asking rate was just under 13, and by the time he was dismissed – for 2 off 6 balls – it had shot up close to 17, drawing criticism from various quarters on his approach.
However, Pollard rated Pandya as one of the great “all-rounders” India has ever produced, and believed that fans will ‘sing praises for him’ soon.
“I don’t know if it will affect his confidence. He is a confident guy, he has been great around the group. In cricket, you have good days and bad days and I am seeing an individual who is working bloody hard to improve his skills and plying his trade,” Pollard said after Mumbai’s fourth loss in six outings in IPL 2024.
“I am sick and fed up of (us) looking to pinpoint individuals; cricket is a team game at the end of the day. This is an individual that is going to represent the country in less than six weeks’ time, and all are going to cheer him and want him to do well. So high time we try to encourage and stop nitpicking and see if we can get the best out of one of the great all rounders India has produced. He can bat, bowl and field, and has a X-factor about him.
“I hope very well deep down within my heart that when he comes out on top, I’ll sit back and watch everyone sing his praises,” the West Indian added.
After the pre-season IPL trade, Hardik has been at the receiving end of fans’ wrath, and was booed by fans wherever MI played, and the trend is no different even at their home ground in Wankhede. Hardik’s dismal form this season has also added fuel to the criticisms.
Returning from an ankle injury suffered during the ODI World Cup last year, he has scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 145.55 and picked up three wickets but at a high economy of 12. In his first stint with Mumbai – from 2015 to 2021 – Hardik averaged 27.33 with the bat but struck at 153.91.
In his two years with the Gujarat Titans, whom he captained, his average shot up to 37.86 – he played in the middle order and anchored their innings – while the strike rate came down to 133.49.
However, Pollard preferred to see the change in batting approach from a different lens. “As an individual you have to evolve,” Pollard said of Hardik’s batting methods.
“When you are young, you have youthful exuberance. You go out and do things in a certain manner. The older you get, accountability and responsibility kick in. What I am seeing is the guy is evolving.”
“We, as individuals, want to see certain things but sometimes the game does not demand certain things and players are going to make mistakes as you go along, as we all have done. The individual has put in the work and hard work pays off. So, all of us will be singing his praises when time comes,” Pollard summed up.