IPL 2020 | Finishers like Hardik Pandya are rare, insists Tom Moody

Hardik Pandya has grown into a batsman that the opposition bowlers fear because of his amazing six-hitting abilities, clearing any boundary with ease. Such is the impact of Junior Pandya that he can change the game on its head in no time. Coming in to bat in the lower middle order, Pandya, for several years now, has finished multiple games for the Mumbai-based franchise and same was the case against Delhi in Qualifier 1. 

Pandya struck a brutal cameo of 37 off 14 balls against Delhi Capitals to pave the way for a dominant win for Mumbai. Interestingly, his knock did not include a single four, but he did in fact clear the boundary five times. At one point it looked like Mumbai would struggle to reach even 170, but the all-rounder changed the momentum of the game by powering his team to 200. 

After Pandya’s explosive innings, Tom Moody lavished praise on Mumbai Indians all-rounder and insisted that finishers like him are rare. 

“Finishers like him are rare, and when he’s in that type of form, you’d pick him everyday of the week because players that can put a finishing touch like he did – took the score from what we thought was going to be 170, 175 range – it’s game over. That is an impactful moment in the game, even though he was out there for only 14 balls,” Moody told ESPNCricinfo.

Pandya and Kishan took 78 off the last five with the all-rounder striking the ball at almost 265. Impressed by Pandya’s knock, Gautam Gambhir added that it was an unbelievable performance from the all-rounder to push his team to a winning total.

“It was unbelievable. At one stage you were expecting Mumbai to get what, 170? From there, getting to 200 was unbelievable and that is where I think they pushed Mumbai out of the contest. And then the way they started. Hardik Pandya getting those 38 off 14, 15 balls against Rabada, Nortje is serious batting.” Gambhir said.