The Potential Of Hardik Pandya 2.0

Exploring Hardik Pandya's new role - batting at number four for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022.

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Hardik Pandya is a gun batter. Despite Pandya being labeled as a finisher/slogger, one thing that has always remained is the way he bats. He has a high backlight and plays with a straight bat. It is one of the reasons why he has always been highly regarded on the national team. 

Pandya has represented India in all three formats and would have been a regular feature in all if it wasn't for his back injury back in 2019. The evidence of his rock solid batting technique is Pandya having a test batting average of more than 31 in 18 innings - it includes a century and a half-century vs Sri Lanka on spin tracks of Pallekele and Galle, a 93 vs South Africa in Cape Town, 71 vs Afghanistan in Bengaluru, and a 52* in 52 balls vs England in Nottingham. 

Coming back to the T20s, Hardik has taken up a new role in this season of IPL, not captain of Gujarat Titans, but batting at number four. 

Throughout his time at Mumbai Indians, Pandya was used as a backend finisher, and rightly so. He has the power and uses it brilliantly to give finishing boosts to the team. He has played some memorable knocks and cameos to push his team's score. 

However, his technique against spin is a thing to be explored and utilised more. It seems that Gujarat management has gone into the exploration way rather than going for the tried and test Pandya, playing the finisher role. 

In four matches so far, Hardik Pandya has scored 141 runs at a strike rate of more than 122 while averaging 47. Batting with responsibility isn't something one sees Pandya doing but his new version is doing. 

It isn't a role even Pandya is used to doing and that reflected in his knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad - 50 not out in 42 balls including four fours and a six. It was very unlike Hardik Pandya knock. 

However, the role has a lot of potential given his spin-hitting abilities and finishing skills. Pandya, in particular, smacks off-spin and wrist spin every time he sees one coming. Pandya scores at a strike rate of more than 166 against off spin in the 7-11 overs since 2019 - 49% times better than the average batter. Against leg-break - the strike rate goes up to 180 - 52% times better than the average batter in 7-11 overs. 

The striking continues in the 12-16 overs as well and after that, Pandya the finisher unleashes. That's the way Gujarat has seen and trying to use Pandya this season. The dynamics of Gujarat's squad mean they don't have a very effective batting lineup. 

This means they need at least two players around whom the rest of the batters play. Shubman Gill is one and the other is Hardik Pandya. if you see another 50 in 40 balls type knock, think about his entry point, who are the batters he is playing with, and how are they playing. On most occasions, the added responsibility of him carrying through the inning would have taken over and he won't be able to risk getting out slogging. 

Yet, Pandya is too good a batter to find his rhythm and get his way out of the situation, and he will find those boundaries he didn't against SRH in the last seven overs and that score will probably look 80 in 35 balls.