Hardik Pandya has emerged from a brash IPL kid into an international cricketer who calms the best batter down in nervy situations. His quiet confidence and awareness of his personal flaws makes him the perfect candidate to be India’s next white-ball captain, writes Sarah Waris.

At this year’s Asia Cup, India were playing Pakistan for the first time since the 2021 T20 World Cup debacle. Chasing 148, India were in a spot of bother at 89-4 in 14.2 overs. The equation came down to 21 from 12. The high-octane drama that had been missing in India-Pakistan encounters for years was finally back. The atmosphere was abuzz with excitement as a close finish loomed. Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed, dot balls piled on the pressure. With India needing six to get off three, it was anyone’s game.

Mohammad Nawaz’s third ball was the dreaded dot. Pandya had tried to blast it through the off-side but ended up sending it to extra cover. A concerned Dinesh Karthik asked from the non-striker’s end whether Pandya could get the job done off Nawaz, who had managed to strangle the middle order through the game.

Pandya nodded. Not a boisterous head-bobbing nod but its composed, reassuring counterpart, a slight movement with the blink of an eye. “Believe me,” he seemingly signalled. “Because I believe in myself.”

What followed is well known. A cracking shot over long on for a flat six. Game done and dusted. Hardik’s nonchalance and the swag made greater news as he completed his return from injury in some style.

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Fast forward to the T20 World Cup, where India are playing Pakistan in a tournament opener yet again. Up against 160 in a game that had more ebbs and flows than the Bay of Fundy in Canada, India just about managed to stay afloat. The Pakistan fast bowlers were magnificent in their first spell, but bowed to Virat Kohli in the end. Reliving the match will take me off track – the genius of the man, the superhuman six off Haris Rauf, the magnificence of the MCG, the consistency of Kohli, the ability to do it again and again and again, his fearless, his energy, that aura… snap out of it already!

Kohli stole the show, and rightly so, but Pandya was the perfect chief, aiding the monarch as he struggled, pumping him on when he decided to break free. He seized the initiative when the spinners stalled the run flow and when Kohli got stuck. When it seemed that the colossal MCG rested on his shoulders, cramping Kohli for room and breathing space, Pandya effortlessly acted as the balm, shouldering the responsibility and taking India close.

Pandya’s 40 in 37 balls may be criticised years later the poor strike rate is noted, when the magic of the moment has faded away, and when only statistics stay on to remind us of the humdinger of a game, but for now, the world cannot get enough of him.

In a post-match interview, Kohli admitted to feeling nerves during the chase and credited Pandya for calming him down as the match headed towards an impossible finish. Until a few years ago, Pandya had been more in the news for his flamboyant hairstyles – which included dying his hair blue to match the India colours – and proud, brazen retellings of questionable incidents from his personal life on television shows without much thought. His newfound maturity bodes well for Indian cricket.

The ban following his appearance on Koffee with Karan was, in Pandya’s own words, the lowest point of his career. Perhaps he lost perspective. Perhaps it was the many distractions that are part and parcel of the lives of cricketing superstars.

Much has changed for Pandya since then. He got injured, returned, and got injured again. He has been in and out of the team and struggled with his bowling. When Kohli, then captain, declared that India needed Pandya the all-rounder in the squad, it seemed curtains for the man. New candidates were tried out.

When Pandya vowed to return stronger in the 2022 IPL after a poor season last year, little did anyone give him a chance.

His decision to part ways with Mumbai Indians, a franchise that had scouted him and given him the platform to flourish, was criticised. Reports emerged that he wanted to lead one of the new sides instead.

Ungrateful, they called him. Greedy. Not good enough to captain a team. The list was long.

The last six months have thrown up a Pandya we never knew existed, showing him in a new light. This is a level-headed cricketer, who has learned from life, who has matured after the birth of his son and the death of his father, and whose priorities are now as steadfast on the game as they have ever been. Interviews with him reveal a new grasp of reality.

When the odds were against Gujarat Titans ahead of the season, Pandya made his team believe otherwise. When the team emerged from the woods to win games they were not expected to, leading to ecstasy all around, all he managed was a silent Dhoni-esque smile from the dugout.

Until a few years ago, associating Pandya with the cool-as-a-cucumber Dhoni would have resulted in a hearty laugh. Now, after he has suffered the lows, he appears more settled. With a greater sense of security about his game and his place in the team, he walks with an air of confidence about his skills. He is not complacent; just aware of his shortcomings and accepting of his abilities.

After the game on Sunday, Pandya said, “I would have taken a bullet for you [Kohli], but I would not have let you get out.” He is aware of what to say and when. The soothing energy he brings to the field trickles down to his teammates, as we saw in the IPL, where he brought the best out of his players. Calming down a player of Kohli’s calibre and experience indicates outstanding player-management skills, and India will miss out if they do not see him as their next white-ball captain.

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