India’s stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya has managed to maintain his perfect series win record as Indian captain. He has registered his fourth straight T20I series win in a row after Team India defeated New Zealand by 168 runs in the third T20I match in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Hardik Pandya was also named the Player of the Series for his all-around show throughout the series.
Impressed with his leadership skills after India crushed New Zealand in the T20I series, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif praised Hardik for backing opener Shubman Gill in the recently concluded contest in Ahmedabad.
Well, for the unversed, because of a string of low scores, several experts and cricketers had questioned Gill’s place in the T20I squad and had backed Prithvi Shaw to replace Gill in the team. Gill had recorded mediocre scores of 7 (6) and 11 (9) in the first two T20Is of the series before he made a comeback in the 3rd T20I against the Kiwis. But Hardik and team management showed immense faith in the star opener.
Shubman Gill repaid Hardik Pandya and team management’s faith as he registered his maiden T20I century in the 3rd and final T20I of the series against New Zealand.
Showering praise on the Indian skipper, ex-cricketer Kaif said: “The captain has a huge role in deciding the XI you are going to play. You become greedy at times, when players are sitting in the squad, that your openers are not firing and it is a big decider, so (Prithvi) Shaw can probably do that job. There were many moments when he took the right decision. He played the same team today as well. It was a different thing that Ishan Kishan got out but the decision was correct. He backed (Shubman) Gill and said at the toss that he will bat,”
Talking about Gill’s knock, the star batter reached his century off just 54 balls, becoming the 5th Indian batter to score a T20I hundred. Gill carried his fine form as he showcased his array of shots, hitting the Kiwi bowlers to all the corners of the ground to score an unbeaten knock of 126 runs off just 63 balls, hitting 12 fours and seven sixes. Gill was named the Player of the Match for his batting masterclass.
