Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes IPL 2022 will be extremely crucial for Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya. The sensational all-rounder has been on the sidelines for a long while because of his persistent injury issues. Although he was included in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in UAE, Pandya rarely bowled and didn’t have a great campaign.
He has been away from the scene of the national team since then and has been focusing on his rehabilitation and bowling at full fitness levels. The upcoming Indian Premier League will be his best opportunity to leave a stamp once again.
Ahead of the season, Mumbai Indians had released him from their squad. New franchise Gujarat Titans picked him up from the drafts for INR 15 crore and named him their captain and is raring to begin with a bang.
During an interaction with Star Sports, Ravi Shastri explained why Hardik Pandya’s IPL performances will be important to impress the Indian selectors in a World Cup year. “They (selectors) would have players in their minds who could fit certain positions. I think the whole country will be very closely watching Hardik Pandya. You know what a match-winner he is. We know how good a player he is. They would love to see what he has to offer during this IPL.”
Ravi Shastri’s tenure as head coach of India ended after the T20 World Cup in UAE last year. Shastri, who’s a multi-faceted man known for having served various roles in Indian cricket will return to commentary box this year during IPL 2022. He also shed light on the fact that selectors are expected to be on the lookout for fast bowlers.
“Like Hardik, there will be a lot of other players being watched very closely, who are there and thereabouts, who are knocking at the door of the Indian team and might make it. I feel they will be watching the fast-bowling department closer than anything else because the (T20) World Cup is in Australia,” he added.
The former head coach of India was asked what he felt about players with lucrative salaries dealing with expectations and pressure. Advising the players to stop thinking about the financial side, Shastri said, “Some feel the pressure, some don’t. I think it is very important to forget the money part of it. You have to go down to the basics and start from scratch. If you start living on the memory of how much you are paid, that is going to put extra pressure on you.
“Observe the basics, pay attention to detail. Here, the captain becomes a key man. He would understand that there would be extra pressure on a player and can try to help him,” he concluded.
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