The Hardik Pandya-led Indian cricket team registered a 1-0 win in the recently-concluded 3-match series against New Zealand as the rain-affected final match ended in a tie based on the DLS method in Napier on Tuesday, November 22. While the first match was abandoned due to rain, India won the 2nd T20I by 65 runs. With this win, Hardik Pandya has added another trophy to his cabinet.
His rise as a successful captain began with the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League, where he led his side Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL trophy in his first attempt as a captain. He then led the Indian side in a series against New Zealand and Ireland.
Ever since India’s exit from the T20I World Cup 2022, several experts and cricketers have backed Hardik Pandya to be India’s new T20I captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.
Yes, several members of the cricketing fraternity, especially legends including the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, and others have opined that India must follow the template of having different captains across the three formats. He has impressed one and all with his cool demeanor under pressure and his ideology. Many feel that Hardik Pandya would be the ideal candidate to take over the role in the shortest format of the game.
Meanwhile, following the series win against New Zealand, during the post-match press conference, Hardik Pandya was asked about the remarks made by the former cricketers. Responding to which, Hardik said: “Koi agar bol raha hai toh accha feel hota hai (If people are saying, you feel good about it) but till something happens officially, you can’t say. To be honest, my thing is simple, if I do one match or one series, I will lead the team my way, how I see and perceive the game,”
He added: “Whenever I am given the opportunity, I will always go out and play the brand of cricket I know. As a unit, we will display my brand. As far as whatever (captaincy) comes in future, we will see,”
During the interview, Hardik was also asked if his philosophy, as a captain, is the same, i.e., start hitting right from the beginning. Responding to this, he said:
“To be honest, I have tried my best to give freedom to my player so that he can go out and express himself. Whosoever has come here to play international cricket, he have had played many games before. So, the same ideology was there in the World Cup. Obviously, things we couldn’t implement are getting highlighted. But going forward, we won’t play with a single mindset. The mandate would be to go, enjoy, and if you feel like hitting right from the first ball, just hit. The player will have the full support and will be backed thoroughly,”
