Hardik a confidence player, can string 4-5 match-winning scores: Ravi Shastri

MUMBAI: India cricket team chief coach Ravi Shastri has said that Hardik Pandya is a "confidence player" and once he gets into the groove, he can string 4-5 match-winning scores, be it for his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians or Team India.

Though Pandya is a part of India's ICC T20 World Cup squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been cautious about increasing his workload ever since he returned from a back surgery last year. He has hardly been given the ball even though chief selector Chetan Sharma had asserted at the time of announcing the ICC T20 World Cup squad that the all-rounder was perfectly fit to bowl in the shortest format.

The all-rounder though seems to be gradually getting back into the groove with his unbeaten 30-ball 40 being crucial in Mumbai Indians defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets on September 28 to break a losing streak.

"He (Hardik) is very much a confidence player and sometimes when you're not a 100 per cent, it can play on your mind so it was important from Mumbai Indians' point of view that he first go on to the park and then scored the runs," Shastri told fancode.com on Saturday.

"It was very important (to gradually bring Hardik to a competitive match). I've known Hardik for a long time… he's very much a confidence player, once he gets into the groove then he can string 4-5 match winning scores," added Shastri. IANS

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