IND v ENG 2022: 3 reasons why Hardik Pandya is the perfect all-rounder India need

Hardik Pandya put on a stellar showing against England at the Rose Bowl as the Men in Blue defeated the hosts by 50 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

The Baroda all-rounder scored his maiden T20I fifty and returned with figures of 4/33 to bag the Player of the Match award.

The right-handed batter has hit a rich vein of form since returning to competitive cricket in IPL 2022. He did a fine job as skipper to lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden IPL trophy.

Hardik Pandya's return to form, particularly with the ball, is a sign of relief for the team management as they prepare for the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.

With that in mind, let's look at three reasons why Pandya is the perfect all-rounder India need.

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#1 Hardik Pandya's ability to play the big shots

Hardik Pandya is an exceptional striker of the ball and has finished many games for India in the past. The right-handed batter has healthy strike rates of 116.91 and 149.21 in ODIs and T20Is respectively.

Having someone of his callibre in the playing XI makes scoring easier for the team, especially in the death overs when teams are looking to pile on runs. With India in dire need of a new finisher after MS Dhoni, the Baroda all-rounder could be a great fit for the team as a lower-order batter.

While there are many batters in the team who like to play with aggressive intent, Hardik Pandya's ability to hit from the very first ball makes him an asset for the Men in Blue.

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#2 Performing under pressure

There is a popular saying - when the going gets tough, the tough get going. That is precisely what separates a good player from a great one. While the Men in Blue have talented all-rounders like Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks, they have often failed to hold their nerves in intense situations.

Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, has arguably thrived under pressure. The all-rounder has made it his habit to bring his best game when the team has needed it the most.

He was India's highest scorer in their title clash against Pakistan in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. He came out to bat with half the squad back in the pavilion. Still relatively inexperienced, the Baroda all-rounder launched a counterattack on the Pakistani bowlers.

He took on Shadab Khan in the 23rd over, hitting him for three sixes and a boundary. His innings gave the fans a glimmer of hope. He went on to score 76 runs off 43 balls at a mammoth strike rate of 176.74. Although India lost the final, Hardik Pandya showed why he belonged on the big stage.

Hardik Pandya did it once again in the IPL 2022 final against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). He cleaned up Orange Cap winner Jos Butler and also accounted for the prized scalps of Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer in the all-important clash.

He was the pick of the bowlers and finished with figures of 3/17 in his four overs. Thanks to his efforts, RR were restricted to a modest total of 130 in the match, despite having some of the most in-form batters in their ranks.

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#3 Balances the playing XI

In the last decade or so, India have lacked fast bowling all-rounders who have contributed with both bat and ball. Hardik Pandya's prowess in both the departments makes his inclusion a no-brainer for the team management.

With the evolution of India's fast bowling over the last few years, dropping a fast bowler to make room for a batter has become a difficult choice to make. This is where the Baroda all-rounder fits the bill.

He accounts for the extra batter in the team while also making space for the management to play an extra fast bowler or a spinner, depending on the pitch conditions. Additionally, he can also function as a frontline bowler at times when the Men in Blue play an extra batter to bolster their batting.