The worst-placed Delhi Capitals defeated the defending champion Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 while pursuing a modest total in their own backyard.
Former South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock criticized Hardik Pandya’s powerful innings against David Warner’s team after Gujarat’s disappointing loss.
Despite restricting the Delhi Capitals to a modest total in the first innings, the Gujarat Titans lost their previous match against the Delhi Capitals by a narrow margin. After a spate of wickets in the powerplay, Hardik Pandya steadied the ship for his team, but he was unable to complete the victory in the final few overs.
Shaun Pollock, a former South African cricketer, believes that despite Pandya’s success in his new position at the top of the order, he needs to search for more boundaries during his time at the crease. Pollock believed that Pandya’s anchor role would have worked for the Mumbai Indians, who have an abundance of powerful batsmen in the lower order.
“In his capacity with the Gujarat Titans, I don’t believe he needs to go down. Because of Mumbai’s weaponry, he would likely still do it if he were there. I witnessed some of his excellent performances last year. I believe he simply needs to shift gears at various times. I have no problem with him rising higher. Shaun Pollock, speaking to Cricbuzz, remarked, “He is a first-class player with exceptional hitting ability.”
Frequently, he would simply press the sweeper and jog through. Shaun Pollock
In addition to his issues with power striking, the Proteas legend criticized the Indian all-rounder’s lack of urgency between the wickets. Pollock believes that the GT captain’s languid running between the wickets is not placing pressure on the fielders.
“I am aware of the injuries he has sustained. However, if you consider the innings he played the night before, there is a lot to be said for batters who charge between the wickets and place fielders under pressure. Quite often, he would simply run through the vacuum,” Pollock added.