TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Nearly an hour after putting in the hard yards, Arshdeep Singh put his hoodie on and sipped a hot beverage while strolling around the change room at the ICC Academy in Dubai. He had had an extensive warm-up, participated in the fielding drill and bowled full tilt for around 45 minutes before putting his feet up.
Not far from him stood Hardik Pandya, who followed a similar routine, but was only half done. The all-rounder hastily unpacked his kitbag after the hydration break and within no time had the batting gear on. He walked into the nets and smoked deliveries right out of the middle of his blade while facing a mix of spin, seam and throwdowns. It wasn’t a one-off but something which he has followed in each of India’s practice sessions during the Champions Trophy.
Pandya is one-of-a-kind!
He can walk into any international limited-overs XI on his batting or bowling skills alone and the last couple of weeks have given a sneak peek into how he remains razor sharp. There’s a convenient narrative against the all-rounder that he is injury prone, can’t handle a lot of workload, has a fragile body but he continues to be the clutch player any captain would welcome with open arms.
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A lot of effort goes behind keeping the skill-set and fitness levels high and the 31-year-old has only become more cautious about his routines after the back surgery and the freak injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup. A player starts understanding his body better after bouts like those and that has been the case with Pandya too. The discipline and hard yards are not restricted to his training sessions or match routines but have trickled down to his overall lifestyle.
There has been an added emphasis on diet, portion controls and the importance of adequate intake of fluids. Even when he is away on commercial commitments or on ad shoots, the 31-year-old doesn’t compromise with his eating routine and the wide range of sippers he carries ensure the hydration game remains strong. One such sipper was even spotted during the drinks break against Pakistan.
India have bowled under the harsh sun in their Champions Trophy games versus Pakistan, Bangladesh and there was no drop in intensity during Pandya’s spells or movements in the middle. One of the safest hands and quickest movers in the squad, he finds himself in the hotpots quite often but the approach has remained aggressive with high energy levels. Skill wise, there wasn’t any doubt around Pandya and even if there were few question marks on his fitness, he has answered them one game at time.
Hardik Pandya bats in the nets. (PTI Photo)
The ankle injury during the group stages of the 2023 World Cup was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the sport and even the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) got in a huddle after the freak event keeping the long term objective in mind. The all-rounder was put under a 18-week high performance programme by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where different approaches were implemented and every day was designed to suit a specific purpose. The temptation to play him in inconsequential bilateral games was avoided during that period and the bigger picture of the white-ball fixtures in the 2024-2026 cycle was kept as priority.
He has returned stronger, with a lot of lean muscle mass on the body, and has featured in bilaterals, T20 World Cup, full season of the IPL for Mumbai Indians and domestic games for Baroda. The domestic game time certainly helped him rediscover his big hitting mojo as he was at his belligerent best with the bat, and took the confidence into the home series against England in January-February.
For once-in-a-generation-players, it’s always the bigger picture which all stakeholders have in mind. And Pandya has been that kind of a player. He is like a Ferrari racing along the motorway and everyone wishes the fuel tank lasts as much as a regular sedan’s would.