Hardik under the lens in changing India T20 set-up

In 88 T20I innings so far, Hardik Pandya has remained unbeaten 25 times.

- Somshuvra Laha

KOLKATA: That is also when Pandya aggregates a strike rate of over 178. When he doesn't go the distance? His strike rate drops to 140.78. Which is still good enough if you are thinking ballpark figures, probably not in Pandya's case since he operates largely at the backend of the innings. Tuesday was one such innings, a chase no less at Rajkot in the third game against England, where Pandya was averaging less than run-a-ball before being dismissed for 40 off 35 balls. India's defeat was inevitable.

Pandya's case is a bit peculiar. In very little time since MS Dhoni's retirement, he had emerged as India's designated all-rounder as well as slog overs enforcer. Be it the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final, where he was the lone salvation act with a 33-ball 63, or the Pakistan game where he held one end up (37-ball 40) as Virat Kohli mounted an epic chase, Pandya has been known to be flexible to the demands of the game. But with the rider of being cautious initially.