Hardik Pandya has made the headlines after he retained his Grade A BCCI Grade A contract. Few claimed that he shouldn’t be a part after failing to play domestic matches. On the other hand, Pandya claimed that he doesn’t believe in stats. In fact, for Pandya, stats are a just numbers and waste of time.
“I generally don’t believe in the fifties or hundreds. Stats are just numbers to me, a waste of time,” Hardik Pandya told Star Sports.
Hardik Pandya’s next big challenge will be the IPL 2024. He is the new captain of the Mumbai Indians and will face his old club Gujarat Titans on their opening game of the season in Ahmedabad.
Recently, BCCI axed Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan for failing to play domestic matches. Argument was made for Hardik Pandya who too failed domestic matches. Only difference, Hardik retained his BCCI Central Contract for 2023-24. The counter argument – Hardik is not in Team India’s plans for red ball cricket.
For Hardik the IPL 2024 is of utmost importance. He will be back in action after many months since being injured in the ODI World Cup. With the ICC T20 World Cup just 3 months away, a lot will rest on Hardik.
Pandya is a dependable all-rounder in India’s middle order. It is imperative that he performs well in IPL which will be a dress rehearsal for the big tournament.