Hardik Pandya needs to mature more to become top player, says Ex- England pacer Tim Bresnen

Former England pacer Tim Bresnen has opined that India all-rounder Hardik Pandya needs to mature a bit more in order to become a top player.

The year 2022 has seen a massive turnaround in Hardik's career. He started off by captaining Gujarat Titans (GT) to the Indian Premier League (IPL) title in their maiden campaign. He was the Man of the Match in the IPL final between GT and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for his all-round effort. He picked up three wickets in the first innings and followed that with a 30-ball 34 in his side's successful chase.

Hardik then carried his fine form into international series against South Africa, Ireland, England, and the West Indies. He also played a key role in India's five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup group stage, where he scalped three wickets and scored 33 to take the Men in Blue over the line.

In a recent interview, Bresnen said while Hardik adds balance to the Indian team and is a fine athlete, he still needs to mature to become a better player.

"Definitely, a pace bowling all-rounder is quite crucial, it balances your team, it gives you two cricketers in one. It's a tough position to play because you are always involved in the game, so it's quite demanding physically. Fast bowling all-rounders are worth the weight in gold. Hardik is really good on the field as well. He's a very good athlete. He's got to mature a bit more, then he is going to be a top, top player," said Bresnan in an interview with PTI.

Talking about the T20 World Cup, England, Australia, and New Zealand are favourites to win the trophy, according to Bresnen, who also mentioned that India cannot be underestimated as well.

"You can't discount India ever... But I think England, Australia and New Zealand are probably the three favourites. But India and Pakistan have the same chance and Sri Lanka have done really well in the Asia Cup, so you never know, whoever brings on the day," added Bresnan in the same interview.

T20 World Cup will be played in Australia this year, starting on Oct. 16 and the final will take place on Nov. 13. India are scheduled to kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign on Oct. 23 against arch-rivals Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

In the lead-up to the marquee tournament, India are set to host Australia and South Africa in the white-ball series. The three-match T20I series between India and Australia will begin on Sept. 20 and the matches will be played in Mohali, Nagpur, and Hyderabad. The last time these two sides locked horns in a T20I series was back in 2020 Down Under where the tourists ended on the winning side (2-1).

Team India will look to make full use of the upcoming series to establish their final combination for the T20 World Cup. India recently had a poor show in the Asia Cup, where they failed to make it to the semi-final. It was the same case last year in the T20 World Cup.