"With Agastya's arrival, he has become more calm and is more focused on his work" - Ashish Nehra on Hardik Pandya

Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra reflected on Hardik Pandya's development as a player, having now become more calm and composed. Nehra believes the all-rounder's son's arrival has played a significant role in his evolution as a person and player.

Pandya, 28, has etched himself as an indispensable part of the Indian white-ball team over the last few months. He showcased nerves of steel in the recent Asia Cup showdown against Pakistan on August 28, smashing a six off Mohammad Nawaz in the final over to secure a five-wicket win.

Nehra feels the all-rounder has grown in all aspects and believes that his personal life has impacted his evolution significantly. Nehra said the following in a video uploaded by ICC:

"Yes, even I've observed it. And it is necessary. With time and experience, you learn things both as a human being and as a player. Pandya is no different. You might have seen him talking about it."

He added:

"He has said that he has learned different things from different experiences. Now he is married, father of a kid, and matured. With Agastya's arrival, he has become more calm and is more focused on his work."

He reminisced about playing with Pandya before his retirement and recalled how skilful and hard-working he was. Nehra also stated that the Baroda-born cricketer has time to grow even further, saying:

"That is great for him and Indian cricket. I played with him in 2016 before I retired. I've played with him for 1-2 years in T20s just before my retirement and when his career was just beginning. He has always been hard-working and skillful."

He added:

"He is only 28, he has a lot of time. Now that he has things under his control, he will keep showing us this kind of form, this calmness."

Nehra also reflected on how people condemned the all-rounder for his attitude, saying fans should cease commenting about players' personal lives. Nehra continued:

"Most importantly, people talk. When one does well, people praise. But some time back, when he was injured and not doing well, people were criticizing his lifestyle. I personally feel no one should talk about what players do off the field. How you prepare yourself and how hard you work on the field, that is more important."

Nehra also stated that the Gujarat Titans captain is willing to learn in the game and would get better with more experience. He said:

"People say that Pandya is not a good student. But he should be a good student on the ground, off the field stuff does not matter. You get better with experience. As life progresses, you learn things. And he has been doing that."

He added:

"When I was with him in the IPL, he was diligent in his work, whether it be with the physio or the trainer and that is more important for any player."

The seam-bowling all-rounder struggled with frequent back issues and struggled to fulfill the role for India in white-ball cricket. However, in recent weeks, he has emerged as a different player, starting with the England tour.

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"He has put in a lot of effort and worked on his fitness" - Ashish Nehra on Hardik Pandya

Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya after IPL 2022 final. (Credits: Twitter)

Nehra, who has worked with Pandya for the Gujarat Titans, believes the all-rounder can fit into any T20 team as purely as a batter. He stated that his hard work has paid off in meeting everyone's expectations.

"The kind of player he is, I mean he only played for the Gujarat Titans in this one year. He has been injured for a while earlier but when you talk about talent, you know what a valuable player he is, not just in T20s but other formats too."

He added:

"I believe he is that kind of a player, who even if he doesn't bowl, can fit in any team as a batter. He was struggling with injuries and poor form, but in the last 3-5 months, he has put in a lot of effort and worked on his fitness."

Nehra concluded by stressing Pandya's importance to the Indian team and his IPL franchise as well, as he said:

"Every player requires some time and even he needed a bit of a time to get back, but he has lived up to the expectations of the captain, coaches, and fans. This is not the first or last time. When you talk about Pandya as an all-rounder, especially when it comes to white-ball cricket, he is a very important player for India or any other T20 team."

The swashbuckling all-rounder captained the Titans to the IPL title earlier this year in their inaugural season. He scored 487 runs in 15 matches at 44.27 in the season. He also took eight wickets in 15 games, including three in the final against the Rajasthan Royals.