IPL 2022 Auction: 3 challenges for Hardik Pandya as Ahmedabad skipper
As the IPL 2022 auction looms large, Ahmedabad will be keen to build a team that will give their skipper Hardik Pandya the chance to lead them to their first title-winning campaign. It will be the first IPL for the swashbuckling former Mumbai Indians star as captain, but it's safe to say he will have his share of challenges.
Pandya comes in with quite the record in the IPL himself. A hard-hitting batter with a cool head, he can decimate the opposition bowlers with his crisp and fluent hitting. Add his pyrotechnics on the field, and he will be a threat on any given day.
The numbers are out there as well: 92 games, 1476 runs, and 42 wickets. Pandya would have had a better record with the ball if not for his persistent back issues that have limited him from being the wily seamer.
Ahead of his maiden outing as captain and incoming IPL 2022 auction, we take a look at the challenges he is likely to face.
#1 Help management pick the right players in the IPL 2022 auction
Every captain has a say in expressing his interest in the sort of players he will need at his disposal. Ahmedabad will construct an entirely new roster during the IPL 2022 auction and that would mean Pandya would have to be aware of what is happening on cricket fields across the world.
His first test comes in the form of the players he recommends. It's not that he isn't aware of what he expects from them — experience, skills and being a team player. He will also need to look for a suitable deputy who can complement him richly.
#2 Fitness issues
Pandya has been a bonafide IPL all-rounder, but his fitness concerns put him at a disadvantage when it comes to playing at his max ability. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Kieron Pollard was retained by Mumbai instead of him ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction.
What remains to be seen is whether his dodgy back holds up for the entirety of the tournament. The wise move by Ahmedabad will be if they pick up all-rounders during the IPL 2022 auction who can take the load off the Baroda star and let him focus on the captaincy and his batting.
#3 Performance
The good news was that Pandya's explosive batting came to the fore against Afghanistan in the ICC T20 World Cup last year. He slammed an unbeaten 35 off just 13 deliveries and helped India post a formidable total. The returns with the ball were forgettable as he was carted for 23 runs in two overs.
The bad news: that was the last time he was seen in limited-overs cricket. His performance will be looked at considering he hasn't played any international cricket since. If he does make the cut for the T20I squad against the West Indies, it gives him a chance to see what he can do with the bat and ball.