Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard lauds hailed Hardik Pandya as one of the great “all-rounders” India has produced and believes the 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,” Pollard said after Mumbai’s 20-run loss against Chennai at the Wankhede Stadium.
It was Hardik Pandya’s last over, in which MS Dhoni slammed three sixes and scored 20 runs off just four balls. Those runs in the last few balls proved crucial as Mumbai suffered their fourth loss in six matches in the tournament.
“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,” he said.
Pollard also slammed fans and pundits for putting blame on Pandya for Mumbai Indians inconsistent start to the tournament.
“I am 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 allrounders 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.”
In his six outing as Mumbai Indians captain, Pandya has amassed 131 runs at the strike rate of 145.56 and has picked up three wickets with an economy rate of 12.00.
“As an individual you have to evolve,” Pollard said of Hardik’s batting methods.
“When you are young, you have the 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.”
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