'Players like him come once in many years': Kieron Pollard heaps praise on Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya announced his return in style, leading Gujarat Titans to the Indian Premier League title in his very first season as captain. The 28-year-old had also led the Men in Blue in a two-T20I series against Ireland and is also a part of the squad for the T20 World Cup, slated to begin on October 16.

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Ex-West Indies captain and Hardik Pandya's long-term teammate in Mumbai Indians Kieron Pollard has lavished praise on him and stated that he is not surprised with the heights the dynamic all-rounder has hit in recent times in both the IPL and at the international level.

“Hardik is a work in progress. He was going through a rough time in the last couple of months. Again, we have seen the rewards of his hard work. I know him for a couple of years and I understand how he thinks and operates. It's not surprising for me what he did in international cricket and for the Gujarat Titans," said Pollard on journalist Vimal Kumar's youtube channel.

“All I want is the best for him on the cricket field. Let's just enjoy him. We tend to put them up on a pedestal, and the moment they don't deliver, we drag them down. He's a brilliant cricketer. Cricketers like him come once in so many years. So again, I only wish him good luck," Pollard added.

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Hardik Pandya is part of the Indian squad that will be playing in the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in Australia. The Indian team will take on its arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match which will be played in Melbourne Cricket Stadium on October 23.