IPL 2019 | Hope Hardik Pandya carries that form into World Cup, says Yuvraj Singh
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Yuvraj Singh is highly impressed by Hardik Pandya’s scintillating form and hopes that the all-rounder replicates his magic in the upcoming World Cup. Hardik has been unstoppable for the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL and has been the reason behind nightmares for many bowlers.
Yuvraj Singh was named Man of the Series for his impactful run in the 2011 World Cup, which India managed to win after 28 long years. Yuvraj had starred with the bat chipping crucial wickets to help India clinch the coveted title. The southpaw is impressed by his Mumbai Indians teammate Hardik Pandya’s pristine form this IPL and hopes he continues to inflict similar damage in the big league as well.
Yuvraj feels Hardik can have a great tournament on the back of his explosive form. “I was actually having this conversation with him yesterday where I told him that ‘you have a great chance of performing really well with the ball and bat’, the kind of form he is in at the moment,” Yuvraj said, quoted PTI.
“Definitely, the way he is batting at the moment, it is phenomenal and I hope he carries that form. He has been bowling well in patches but as I said it is all about how you handle the pressure. It is probably the best shape as a batsman to get in. I have been watching since the practice games, he was hitting the ball really well. I had told him ‘it is going to be a special tournament for you, the way you are hitting the ball’,” said Yuvraj
Pandya almost snatched an implausible victory from imminent jaws of defeat against KKR, where he scored 91 off 34 deliveries but fell short by a whisker. With his experience, Yuvraj clearly knows when a batsman could pose a massive threat and after sharing the dressing room in MI together, the southpaw feels that Hardik is in that kind of a zone.
“Over the years, as an experienced player you know if someone is hitting the ball well, he is in great shape. He got 91 from 34 balls against KKR, probably that is the best innings I have seen in the IPL just because he hit four quality bowlers he was batting against. When you are doing that, you know that someone is batting very well,” added Yuvraj.
On asked about the puzzling No 4 slot in the Indian line-up for the World Cup, Yuvraj gave a shielded reply. Ambati Rayudu was the frontrunner for the said position, but selectors made a surprising call by naming Vijay Shankar in the squad.
“That question you need to ask the selectors, not me. All I can say is that No 4 is a very important position and I am sure they have selected the team thinking about the whole competition. We have to find who is batting at No 4, I am sure there are a couple of options, we just have to wait and watch
“The thing for me is that when you go back you need experience for whatever number you are batting. All five positions are very important. The conditions are going to be different, so I think it’s how you manage yourself under pressure. You will be put under pressure because the best teams in the world are playing. How the guys handle pressure in crunch situations is actually going to show the character of the team,” Yuvraj said.
