Everything about Hardik Pandya is currently unreal: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praises on Hardik Pandya for his exceptional performance in the Asia Cup Group fixture against Pakistan. The all-rounder picked up 3 for 25 in his outstanding bowling spell including the priceless wicket of Mohammad Rizwan. He also clocked 140 Kmph speeds continuously and looked completely fit from his back injury.

In the run chase, he came into bat when India was down to 89 for 4, and the side needed someone to up the anti straightaway. The 28-year-old proved to be the perfect foil in the situation and his 17 ball-33 helped India get over the line. He was hailed after the game by a lot of experts for the way he kept his cool and bailed India out of trouble in a high-intensity game. 

Sanjay Manjrekar lavishes praise on Hardik Pandya

Manjrekar mentioned that Pandya’s current form in all three departments looks unreal and highlighted the latter’s ability to keep his calmness intact. He further noted that the situation got tougher once Jadeja was dismissed and explained how Pandya managed to hold on to his nerves.

“Just his calmness. I mean everything about him is currently unreal. His bowling returns are unreal, which is fine, which is something that you get with others as well. But his ability to keep calm and get runs under pressure. That last over, you know last night was a tricky one because Hardik was in there and played the faster bowlers mostly and he was hitting the path.

"There was a rhythm of hitting against the quicker bowlers and suddenly the situation was such that Pakistan had to bring in the left-arm spinner in and Jadeja getting out to the first ball and then he had four balls to get those runs,” Manjrekar told while Speaking exclusively on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’,

Manjrekar felt that the winning shot was unbelievable looking at the amount of pressure and reckoned that the all-rounder is in a different zone at the moment. 

“I mean, the pressure is immense but the kind of shots also that he plays to get those winning runs under pressure is just outstanding. I'm sure from inside there is a bit of nerve, but he has this confidence currently which he said last night as well, is that he believes that the bowler would be under more pressure. So, he's just in a zone where you think everything that he is doing is just unreal. Absolutely brilliant,” he added.