Former Mumbai Indians coach Mark Boucher feels the torrid time endured by Hardik Pandya in the last IPL season added to his already tough character and the "battle-hardened" all-rounder will be at his best in the upcoming edition.
Pandya suffered a turbulent time at the helm after he replaced Rohit Sharma as MI skipper. The decision didn't go well with MI fans and they booed the all-rounder at the Wankhede Stadium at every opportunity. The results also didn't go in his favour as MI finished last in the points table.
But things have changed since then and Pandya is expected to get the support of the fans after playing a vital role in India's T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs.
"It was really tough for him (Pandya) last season. He was being booed by the crowd every time he took the field, he deserves better, he deserves 100 per cent respect," said Boucher, a JioStar expert for the league starting on Saturday.
"A cricketers never wants such a thing to happen with him. But he is a tough character," he added.
The former South Africa wicket-keeping star was at the helm in MI when Pandya took over from Rohit and had first-hand access to the all-rounder as he dealt with the public backlash.
"He is a battle-hardened cricketer. He has been through tough times, injuries, form, many things but he overcame everything and achieved success. The greats of the cricket have to be tough and he has shown that," Boucher said.
"IPL is better with Hardik on the field, the game of cricket is better with Hardik on the field," he added.
Pandya also drew high praise from the former India and MI player Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan said his self-belief and positive attitude set Pandya apart from others.
"He (Pandya) is a very confident player, very positive guy. He has tremendous self-belief that he can do anything. That makes him different from others," Harbhajan, also a JioStar expert, said.
"It's really heartening to see (the way) he has progressed after a difficult last year. Things have changed for him. He helped India win two ICC trophies.
"This year he will be at his best. All the wrong things of the past are gone, it is a fresh year for him."
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