A wiry young lad from a small town in Gujarat, Hardik Pandya, with his tattoos and peroxide highlights, encapsulates the charisma and swagger of the modern-day Indian cricketer. The all-rounder was propelled into the big stage after constant exposure to prime-time television in the form of the Indian Premier League. A deep voice to go with the confidence and energy, and showing no sign of playing it safe, Pandya is the modern icon of audacity in the Indian side. Having gone through the hard grind of domestic cricket, Pandya shot to fame when he was picked up by an IPL franchise - a license to make his talent well-known on the big stage. Despite being predominantly noted for his explosive batting, Pandya is no slouch with the ball. In fact, it was his all-round skills which caught the attention of the T20 franchises during the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament culminating a national contract. Pandya's merit was duly rewarded when he was named in India's ODI squad for the home series against New Zealand in 2016. By this time, he had worked on his swing bowling skills, and was hitting the 140s regularly, troubling the batsmen with his nagging length. In fact, having been a part of the 2016 World T20, Pandya defended an equation reading '2 to win off 3' against Bangladesh, bowling back of a length and short on a slow-ish wicket, and keeping India alive in the tournament as a result. Regardless of whether Pandya is India's next Kapil Dev, he certainly beings a much-needed balance to the side. If he remains grounded in the midst of all the glamour, and shapes his game under the able guidance of his seniors and coaches, he is destined for greatness. As of right now, it will be fascinating to watch the exuberance of blending with the maturity that comes with experience as the nation looks up at this charismatic young talent in its quest for those elusive overseas wins. After a mixed year of glory and heartbreak, Pandya was hampered by a severe back injury during the Asia Cup in 2018 which ruled him out of the tour of Australia. To make things worse, he received a lot of flak when an episode of a talk show aired in India, in which Pandya, along with Rahul, were called out for their misogynistic comments about women, and were suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for poor conduct and tarnishing the image of Indian cricket. The ban has been lifted since the incident. Pandya, however, returned to the side after a lot of internal conflict in the board, for the ODI series against New Zealand and performed admirably, particularly with the ball and in the field. He remains a vital cog in India's 2019 World Cup plans, providing a much-needed balance in the side, as India finally manage to get their hands on a fast-bowling all-rounder for the first time since the Great Kapil Dev.
