T20 World Cup: Everything on my shoulders as finisher, says Hardik Pandya

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya believes that the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup will mark his biggest responsibility so far. Hardik will be expected to execute the role of a finisher singlehandedly following the retirement of legendary cricketer MS Dhoni. While Dhoni will be a part of the Team India setup for the tournament in the role of a mentor, the all-rounder will have to deliver the goods when it matters the most on the field.

“The biggest responsibility so far, I will say, because this time I don’t have Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Everything is on my shoulders – I like to think that way because it gives me an added challenge. It is going to be exciting, a cracker of a tournament,” said Hardik in an interaction with ESPN.

“Only Mahi can make me understand certain things”

The all-rounder hailed MS Dhoni as his ‘life coach’, terming the veteran as someone with whom he has enjoyed lovely conversations.

“In a certain way, yes. We have lovely conversations. As I said, only Mahi can make me understand certain things. Sometimes if I get strong-headed and I go into that zone and I believe some things, I have to call him and say, “Yeh soch rahan hoon, kya chal raha hai, batao.” [This is on my mind. What do you think?] Then he will explain. So, yes, in a lot of ways he is a life coach.Staying with him, obviously, you learn to be mature, you learn to become humble. I have learned a lot by watching him. He never loses his cool.Not cool – I don’t like the word, and people calling him Mr Cool does not suit him. For me, he is always stable. When he goes out, people are always going to him with requests for photos and xyz. I have thoroughly copied how he behaves outside. When I go out now, no matter how many people are there, there will always be a big smile on my face,” said Hardik.

“Mahi bhai is a darling. There are a lot of things I am allowed [with him], which no one else is. We connect well. Maybe he likes the fact that I never treat him like MS Dhoni. And he understands where I come from. He is like, Okay, yeh kar raha hai toh kuch soch ke kar raha hai [If Hardik is doing something, it’s only after he has considered it] type,” he added.

“MS was someone who understood me from the start”

Hardik was full of praise for MS Dhoni, sharing an anecdote where the veteran gave up his bed for the all-rounder.

“MS was someone who understood me from the start: how I function, what kind of a person I am, what are the things I don’t like, everything. When I was picked for the New Zealand series [in January 2019, after the suspension was revoked], initially there were no hotel rooms [for Pandya in New Zealand]. But then I get a call, saying, “You just come. MS has told us, ‘I don’t sleep on the bed [in any case]. He will sleep on my bed and I will sleep on the floor.'” He [Dhoni] was the first person who has been always there,” concluded the all-rounder.