(AP Photo)
Manjrekar lauded Hardik, emphasizing his pivotal role as one of India’s key players in ICC tournaments and high-stakes encounters against Pakistan in recent years.
Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized that Hardik Pandya appeared more at ease wearing India’s blue jersey rather than the Mumbai Indians’ blue. Pandya showed promising form with the bat during the warm-up match against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. The dynamic all-rounder faced challenges during the IPL 2024 season, where he returned to the Mumbai Indians after a two-year hiatus. Despite leading the team upon his comeback, Hardik struggled to rally the five-time champions, resulting in their bottom-place finish on the points table.
Following a disappointing IPL 2024 campaign, Hardik Pandya answered his detractors with an impressive unbeaten innings of 40 runs from just 23 deliveries against Bangladesh in the warm-up match. The flamboyant all-rounder made a resounding comeback to form, particularly showcasing his prowess by smashing Tanvir Islam for three consecutive sixes, reaffirming his status as one of the premier players in his role in the T20 format.
In a challenging batting pitch during India’s encounter with Bangladesh in New York, Hardik Pandya emerged as the lone standout among the team’s finishers. While Shivam Dube managed 14 runs and Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten at 4*, both struggled to find their rhythm in the middle. In contrast, Pandya not only excelled with the bat but also contributed with a wicket while bowling.
Sanjay Manjrekar showered accolades on Hardik, highlighting his significance as a key player for the Indian team, especially in crucial ICC events and the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan matches in recent years.
“I have been repeatedly saying, even before this match, if you see Hardik Pandya’s performances in World Cups, he played the all-rounder’s role very well in the 2019 World Cup, he had a main performance in the India-Pakistan match on the big stage, and see his performance with the bat in the semi-final India lost in Adelaide, he scored 60 runs at a strike rate of 190,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.
