Hardik Pandya is a completely changed guy: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar said that Hardik Pandya has diversified himself more than a hard-hitting batter and he is now a 'completely changed guy'. A blistering century by Rishabh Pant followed by Hardik Pandya's fifty guided Team India to a five-wicket victory over England in the series decider of the three-match series at Manchester on Sunday. With the win, India clinched the ODI series 2-1 against England.

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Realizing that he needed to step up as the fourth medium-pacer/fifth bowler after India lost their No 1 pacer Jasprit Bumrah to back spasms, Hardik Pandya, exploiting the bounce on the rock-hard surface, made the short ball his 'WMD', returning career-best figures of 7-3-24-4, with a first spell

In the last ODI against England Pandya smashed 71 runs in 55 deliveries while picking four wickets conceding just 24 runs. Speaking on SPORTS18's show 'SPORTS OVER THE TOP', former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said, "Absolutely, Hardik Pandya is a completely changed guy. First of all, picking him as one of their first players, before that his fitness was a problem, and his batting was an issue for the earlier franchise. Not only did they pick him, and back him as one of their marquee players they gave him the captaincy."

"Just the way the league turned out for him. Hardik Pandya is a changed man now, there's a lot of maturity, responsibility and ambition as well. I see a sense of ambition coming into him. And once you have that, wanting to grow within Indian Cricket then there's tremendous motivation. He's also addressing himself in the third person now. Hardik Pandya has arrived," he added.

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"Yes,