Hardik Pandya's never-give-up attitude has made him India's primary all-rounder. On the field, the Baroda player wears his heart on his sleeve, irrespective of his performance. But ever since he broke into the international scene, Pandya has often been judged for his flashy lifestyle. His talk-show controversy further strengthened this perception.
The fighter in him saw Pandya script a brilliant comeback at the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League. Pandya brilliantly played the role of a finisher to help Mumbai Indians clinch a record fourth title. Jonty Rhodes, who was Pandya's fielding coach at Mumbai Indians, said Pandya has handled setbacks well.
"He is a player with enormous hunger. I remember when his brother Krunal burst into the scene, Hardik got dropped. I told him that this was going to be his biggest test. It's not about bowling a superb bouncer or hitting sixes to finish off games. I told him 'if you can bounce back after your brother has taken your place in the side, especially since you are seen as the rockstar of Mumbai Indians, then nothing like it.' He handled the phase really well," Rhodes said on Saturday.
Rhodes felt Pandya's personality allows people to jump to conclusions very easily. "As a fielding coach, I was worried about Hardik's focus. He came across as someone who would take a selfie with a guy or a girl in the stands. Or someone who is worried about his hat or hair. When the crowd gets going, it's hard to keep your mind in the game sometimes. But Pandya focuses a lot. Look, he has had a lot of distractions that could have dragged him down. But thankfully, he is a sensible boy from a sensible family. He has matured a lot as a player, to become a good finisher and now ticks all the boxes for an all-rounder," the former South Africa player explained.
The 49-year-old was also impressed with Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah's progress. "It's amazing how quickly Bumrah has gone from an understudy to Lasith Malinga to someone superior to the Sri Lankan pacer at Mumbai Indians. Bumrah's action is different, difficult for those playing him the first time. Also, Malinga lost quite a bit of pace and his slower ball became a bit ineffective. Bumrah is a smart operator, who was groomed well by John Wright and Shane Bond at Mumbai Indians. He just keeps getting better and better and that's good news for India," he offered.