T20 World Cup 2022: Why is Hardik Pandya the most valuable player for the Indian team in Australia?

Hardik Pandya - India's most valuable T20I cricketer

"He [Hardik Pandya] is the most valuable T20 cricketer going around in world cricket right now." - Brad Hogg.

Having led Gujarat Titans to its maiden IPL title in the inaugural edition, Hardik Pandya announced his powerful return. He was then given a chance to show the Indian side in international cricket and proved his skills and intent there. 

He proved his flexible batting skills to bat from third to the sixth position in a batting line-up and displayed his cunning wicket-taking skills.  

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra is quite impressed with Hardik Pandya and has labeled him as India's most valuable T20I cricketer.

"He's turning out to be the most valuable T20 player in India," Chopra said on his official YouTube channel.

Perfect player for the Australian conditions

Indian batting looks more stable today than at any time before. With big names at the start, two names in the end - Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik- add great tension to the opposition. 

"I think this is as good a batting line-up as India has ever had in T20 cricket. Especially with Hardik at number five and Rishabh or DK at number six makes a massive difference," Shastri said.

Australia has a fast and bouncy pitch with a long boundary. This demands strong hitting capabilities to hit six, and then when the pitch is fast and gives you bounce, what's better than having a pacer who can utilize it and be a leading seamer in the squad?

That's precisely where Hardik Pandya's expertise lies. The all-rounder finds his expression in powerful hitting in the middle order and tight seam bowling.

He has played six international innings in Australia to accumulate 288 runs at a stunning average of 72 and a strike rate of 123.60. This strike rate increases to 156 on Australian pitches in the T20 format.

India's strength is the luxury of having a world-class all-rounder that ten-fold the team.

Dinesh Karthik, who has finished the last few games with Hardik Pandya, shared why having Hardik Pandya in the playing XI makes a big difference. 

He said, "We needed only four bowlers to finish the eight overs. But we actually had five options. That's the luxury of having a world-class all-rounder like Hardik Pandya."

Dinesh Karthik added, "When Hardik Pandya is in the playing XI, it gives you the option to play an extra batter or extra bowler; that's what makes him so special. There are a very few cricketers in world cricket who can balance the side out. That's where we have been blessed, and if he does well, it is always great for Indian cricket."

What Yuvraj Singh used to be for India in the 2011 ODI World Cup, Hardik Pandya has made a space very much equivalent to him. 

He can hit long back-to-back sixes and give his team breakthroughs at crucial moments, and then his high athletic fielding is a plus point.

Everyone knows how Yuvraj Singh led India to the final with his all-around contribution, and India ended up winning the 2011 World Cup. This year Hardik Pandya could be the X-factor that'll take India to their second T20I World Cup title.