Team India’s vice-captain, Hardik Pandya, shed light on the unique challenges and mindset of an all-rounder in the sport, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and adaptability to meet the team’s needs.
Team India vice-captain Hardik Pandya spiked on his role as an all-rounder in the side and how he backs himself before going in to bat or bowl, he said “As an all-rounder, my workload is twice or thrice as anyone else. When a batter in the team goes and bats and finishes his batting and is heading home, I’ll still be bowling after that. So for me, all the managing, all the pushing, and everything happens during the sessions or my training or my pre-camp season. When the game arrives, it is more about whatever the team requires, and the managing side goes out of the park, and it is more practical calls that how many overs are needed for me. Because if 10 overs are not needed, there is no point in me bowling 10 overs, but if 10 overs are needed, then I’ll be bowling.”
“I always believed that I give myself a chance to succeed, which is by reading the game, which is by backing myself because I have always believed that when we go as a believer, when I’m standing there, yes, my ten players, my ten brothers are around me, but at the same point of time I’m alone. When bowling, I have to back myself to the fullest because the opposition, the batter, they want me to make a mistake. At the same point in time, as a batter, yes, two people are batting, and he is there with me fighting, but there are also eleven on the ground against me, and at the same point in time, it could be the crowd or anything,” he added.
“So what I have realized is that no matter what happens, you have to back yourself, you have to believe that you are the best in the world. That does not guarantee you success, but at the same point of time, it does give you and it does guide you to work towards success, so practically back yourself,” he said.
