New Delhi, April 7 – Former India captain Anil Kumble emphasized Hardik Pandya's irreplaceable value ahead of Mumbai Indians' Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Rajasthan Royals, stating that his absence could disrupt MI's team balance and the team would require two players to fill his role.
Pandya, who was unable to play in Mumbai's last away game against Delhi Capitals due to illness, returned to training in Guwahati on Sunday. With Pandya out, Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the team, which underwent several changes. These included adding Deepak Chahar and Corbin Bosch to the XI, while Trent Boult was sidelined to maintain the balance of overseas players.
Kumble highlighted just how crucial Pandya is to the side, placing him alongside Jasprit Bumrah as one of the two players Mumbai can least afford to lose.
"I think Mumbai Indians, the two players you don't want to be missing out in the playing XI, one is of course just with Bumrah, and the other is Hardik Pandya. Because Hardik Pandya, you need two players to replace him. We saw that balance sort of getting a bit upset in the last game," Kumble said in a video shared by Star Sports on X.
He further elaborated on Pandya's multidimensional impact, pointing out that his contribution goes far beyond just runs with the bat, saying, "So hopefully for Mumbai Indians, Hardik will play. If he plays, it's not just the batting, it's also the way he bats. The way he bats in different situations and his four overs. With the new ball, he's able to bowl. He also comes and bowls in the death. So he's a perfect all-rounder."
Kumble emphasised that players of Pandya's calibre are rare in modern cricket, highlighting his consistency across formats and situations.
"You can't get a player of Hardik's quality every day. And we've seen that throughout this competition, probably he's the one all-rounder that stands out," he added.
Pandya had earlier made a useful contribution in Mumbai's opening win over Kolkata Knight Riders, returning figures of 1/39 and scoring an unbeaten 18 off 11 balls. However, his absence was felt in the subsequent defeat to Delhi, reinforcing Kumble's point about the balance he brings to the side.