There is no dearth of self-confidence when Hardik Pandya steps onto the field. Off the field, there is nothing dissimilar in his personality. Flamboyant and full of swagger, Pandya prefers to be in the spotlight and take the gamble than staying in the background and playing it safe. An all-rounder who bowls medium-fast is a rare commodity in India. His big and clean hitting ability help tick the boxes and it is natural for captains and team management to go to him in crunch situations. In what should have been like a rapidly advancing career, Pandya’s graph came to a halt just when he had taken off with a bang. In a nerve-wrecking World T20 Super 10 match against Bangladesh, Pandya bowled the final over with 11 to get. He made a hash of it conceding nine off the first three balls, but made a miraculous recovery picking two wickets in the next balls before a lightening quick MS Dhoni effected a stunning run-out as India secured a one-run victory. In the semi-final against West Indies, Pandya had top scorer Lendl Simmons caught on 50 but ended up overstepping. The opposition made most of the error and his four overs cost 43 runs. He was ignored for India’s tour to Zimbabwe after a tepid IPL season. Realizing that he still needed to cover some yards, Pandya went back to the drawing board. “After the IPL, I was out for two months. I worked hard on my game and that helped me. I got to know about my game and the areas I needed to improve. I wanted to work on my bowling and wanted to be more consistent at it and also get better at batting,” he told BCCI.TV after Team India’s practice session at the HPCA ground in Dharamsala. The Baroda cricketer was included in the India A’s squad for the Australia, which ultimately paved the way for his India recall. Working closely with Rahul Dravid, Pandya understood the finer aspects about preparations and a cricketer’s temperament. “The India A tour was amazing for me as that is how I got back to the India team, isn’t it? I learned a lot of things from Rahul Dravid Sir and Paras Mhambrey and other support staff members. As an individual, it was a crucial part of my career.” In the high-octane training session, Pandya bowled full tilt, had a batting session and took part in the fielding drills monitored by R. Sridhar. “It is good to be back in the India blues. We’re playing at such a beautiful venue and the atmosphere is pretty good so I am very happy to be back. It is my first day with Anil Sir as India’s Head Coach. I did get to work with him with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, but I am keen to learn new things from him.” On Sunday if he earns his maiden ODI cap, Pandya will be out there again high on confidence and exuberance.