'Takes a man of deep character' - Robin Uthappa heaps praise on Hardik Pandya following resurgence in form

Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has caught several headlines ever since his shock transfer to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024. The star player replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians’ skipper, and he received a lot of stick from the supporters. 

The atmosphere and the situation at Pandya’s arrival at MI saw the ace all-rounder struggle as his form took a dip. Leading MI, Pandya failed to help his team qualify for the knockout stages of the IPL, and his selection chances in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 looked a bit bleak as well.  

However, Pandya was indeed selected and has been exceptional for the Men in Blue in the marquee tournament. His performances impressed former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa who opined that it takes a man of character to come back after facing as many hardships as Pandya has faced. 

“I love that Hardik is batting so well and bowling so well. And just his demeanour, he has been through a lot. If you look at what he has been through the last few months, the last six months, professional life, personal life, the scrutiny, everything he has gone through, to stack up performances that he is stacking up right now, takes a man of deep character. And that needs to be celebrated,” Uthappa said on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel. 

I think Jaddu, especially as a bowler, needs to turn up: Uthappa

Furthermore, Uthappa gave his take on the form of ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as well. Jadeja has failed to make any impact for India in the T20 World Cup, and Uthappa stated that he just needs to bowl more overs to get his mojo back and start performing. 

"I think Jaddu, especially as a bowler, needs to turn up a little bit more. I think he's a rhythm guy, and I don't think he's able to bowl often enough. I think that rhythm, when it's not there, he also backs himself a little bit lesser. So, I would like for him to bowl a lot more before the semifinals happen against a good side and this seems like the perfect team to be able to do that,” Uthappa said.