Recovering from the controversy, the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is ready to return to the international cricket. Recently, his mentor and former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More revealed that Pandya hit a thousand balls in Australia when he was released from the squad.
The 25-year-old Indian pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya hasn’t played an international game since the final group stage match against Pakistan at Dubai (DSC) in the Asia Cup 2018 on 19 September 2018. During that game, Pandya suffered an acute back injury when he was bowling and soon he had to leave the ground on a stretcher.
After the great all-round performances in his domestic cricket return after recovering from the injury, Pandya returned to the national squad for the last two Tests of the four-match Test series in Australia but he wasn’t selected in the playing XI.
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Later, he entered the controversy after his sexist comments in the popular Indian talk show “Koffee with Karan”. Though Pandya was in the ODI squad of that tour and he was expected to be selected in playing XI during that series, he was suspended along with KL Rahul for their inappropriate comments in that talk show.
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Recently, his suspension has been lifted and he has been returned to the Indian squad for the ongoing limited-overs tour in New Zealand.
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When Pandya returned to his hometown after the controversy hit, he went to his mentor Kiran More. Later, More impressed with Pandya’s clean hitting ability where Pandya revealed to hit a thousand balls in Australia during his removal from the squad.
Recently, More revealed to India Today, “When I was working with him in my academy in Baroda, I saw him hitting the ball cleanly. I asked him how he had managed to retain that touch. He told me, ‘Sir, I hit a thousand balls in Australia when I was removed.’ That’s the way to do it.”
More praised the Indian all-rounder as he remarked Pandya as a very talented cricketer who wanted to give the best.
The former Indian wicketkeeper added, “I remember him as a very talented cricketer, who wanted to do everything – bowl, bat, field and he wanted to win. I am just happy he will get to play cricket again.”
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Speaking about his controversy, More said that it was a mistake that he made and he apologized for that. As he knows him for a long time, More can’t remember any cricket misbehavior of Hardik Pandya.
More said, “He made a mistake and apologized. I think things were blown out of proportion. He doesn’t have a bad track record on the field. I have known him for long. There is not a single cricket misbehaviour I remember.”
