Hard, but can do it!

While allrounder Hardik Pandya had a fine outing in Indiarsquos T20 World Cupwinning campaign recently on the personal front things have not been fine Earlier this week Hardik and his wife Natasa Stankovic officially confirmed their separation The pair issued a joint statement on Instagram announcing their mutual decision to part ways and their plan to coparent their son Agastya As Hardik continues to represent the Indian cricket team on their Sri Lanka tour it remains to be seen if the emotional challenges off the field will impact his performance on it Experts admit itrsquos a complicated issue that needs to be dealt with in a professional mannerTeammates play key roleldquoUndoubtedly personal separations are challenging However Hardik Pandya is a seasoned cricketer who has demonstrated his ability to compartmentalise his personal life from his professional career as evidenced by his strong performance in the T20 World Cup Focusing on the present and controlling what he can influence will be crucial for him to excel in the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka Itrsquos also essential for his teammates the coaching team and support staff members to recognise that he might be going through a difficult phase and offer support and create a safe space for him to express his emotions without judging himrdquo feels sports psychologist Jaini NanduJaini Nandu Sudha Kokate Ajailiu Niumai and Nivedita RajanSociologist Sudha Kokate believes the mutual nature of the divorce makes it better to deal with ldquoSince the divorce has been mutual it is not something sudden so the way out has been going on for a long time in their relationship The fact that Hardik has done well at the T20 World Cup proves that he will do well in the future toordquo says Kokate Renowned professor of sociology Ajailiu Niumai feels Hardikrsquos game wonrsquot be affected at all ldquoHardikrsquos separation from his wife has been in the news for some time now He may be affected by the separation but Irsquom sure he has been mentally prepared for this Hence he will play well in Sri Lankardquo she saysAlso ReadFitness concerns went against Pandyarsquos captaincy claims says Ajit AgarkarCoping ability of athletesSports psychologist and former national level basketball player Nivedita Rajan believes athletes have a unique ability to cope with adversity ldquoSportspersons endure many adversities both professionally and personally during their journey This can range from periods of poor performances nonselection suddenly being dropped from the squad and other personal issues This amplifies the ability of sportspersons to cope and focus on the job at hand Coping is defined as the constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person by Lazarus and Folkman in 1984ldquoHardik has shown this resilience and calm when he bowled the last over of the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup final He did well to carry the burden of the nation and its citizens on his shoulders From a psychological point of view sports itself is seen as a stressbuster and an outlet for pentup emotion Hardik has this coping mechanism and can endure this difficult period Cricket will provide him an outlet to resonate with the situation and also try to come to terms with itrdquo explains Rajan