As the IPL season unfolds, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has been scrutinized for his batting performance. Tim David, the team’s all-rounder, comes to Pandya’s defense, highlighting his pivotal role in the team’s batting line-up.

Pandya’s Performance Overview

Pandya’s scoring rate has been a topic of discussion, with his strike rate of 138.46 garnering attention. Despite facing criticism for not accelerating enough, Pandya’s contribution has been more nuanced than mere run-scoring.

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Examining specific matches sheds light on Pandya’s significance. In the match against Gujarat Titans, his quick-fire 11 runs may have seemed insufficient, but his role in setting the platform is crucial.

“We have had conversations about how we have played. Hardik has been playing a really important job for our team. Look at the last match , we struggled really hard for momentum towards the back end . Hardik played a perfect innings that set the platform for myself and Romario to go on with at the end,” David told the media during Mumbai Indians’ training session at the Wankhede Stadium.

Pandya’s Role as the Glue: Holding the Innings Together

David emphasizes Pandya’s role as the “glue” that holds the batting together. In a sport where momentum is key, Pandya’s ability to stabilize the innings cannot be overstated.

“With the extra freedom of having an extra batter, there is maybe a little bit less responsibility. Some people are playing with a little bit more freedom or throwing caution to the wind. Like I said at the start, we had Hardik playing a middle order role in the last match. He was the glue that held us together and gave us a chance to play with freedom at the back end,” David added.

Team Dynamics: Pandya’s Contribution Beyond Runs

David delves into the team dynamics, acknowledging that while some players may take more risks, Pandya’s stability allows others to flourish freely. His presence in the middle order provides a sense of security. David said the team has absolutely no concerns with the way their skipper has batted so far.

“You could go look at the first game where Hardik hit two boundaries in his first two balls. absolutely full faith in him. We know his power; we know how good he is. When he gets into that situation, he is going to win games for us,” David added.