East India fast bowler Varun Aaron Offers a detailed technical insight into what makes hardik pandya A unique batting force in India’s T20I setup. Speaking ahead of the five-match T20I series between India and new zealandAaron pointed to two specific biomechanical aspects that allow Pandya to generate explosive power without compromising balance or control.
Varun Aaron talks about the technical attributes that make Hardik Pandya a unique player
India and New Zealand will face each other in the opening T20I in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21, with Pandya entering the series in impressive form. Aaron, while analyzing Pandya’s batting during India’s recent T20 matches, noticed the all-rounder’s tendency to plant his back foot deep inside the crease – a trait that immediately caught the former fast bowler’s attention.
According to Aaron, this position gives Pandya extra time against fast bowling, allowing his hands to get into the hitting zone faster than most batsmen. He explained that that second half often proves decisive in T20 cricket, where reaction time and bat speed can define the outcome of an innings.
“That’s obviously something that sets him apart. Gives him that extra second to get those quick hands going. The other thing that sets him apart from all the other batsmen in this Indian team is his ability to do two things,” Aaron said on Star Sports.
Aaron further explained what he believes really sets Pandya apart from the rest of India’s batting line-up. He highlighted Pandya’s ability to keep the lower half of his body open while the upper half remained side-on – a rare combination in modern batting. This contrast between the lower and upper parts of the body significantly separates the hips and shoulders. Aaron explained that such alignment produces a twisting motion, which adds enough power to Pandya’s strokes and keeps him off balance. The wide base, coupled with strong core engagement, enables Pandya to hit both length and hard length balls with authority, even against high quality fast bowling.
“One, obviously, is keeping his bottom half really open, which gives him a lot of power, the base really wide, and then he stays really on edge with his top half. With those two things, he isolates himself a lot of hip and shoulder, giving him a lot of turning power,” Added Aaron.
Form and confidence before New Zealand series
Pandya’s confidence has increased further due to his strong domestic form for Baroda. Vijay Hazare TrophyWhere he gave many impressive presentations. That pace came into international cricket during India’s recent T20I series against South Africa, where he scored 142 runs in three innings at an excellent average of 71.00 and a strike rate of 186.84. Such numbers underscore the effectiveness of the technical features described by Aaron, especially in high-pressure situations against quality opposition.
In his T20I career, Pandya has scored 2002 runs in 97 innings at a strike rate of 143.51, establishing himself as one of India’s most reliable finishers. In the 2025 calendar year alone, he scored 302 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 153.29, cementing his growing influence in the shortest format.
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