Hardik Pandya comes in for praise from across the border and could be captaincy material for Team India
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Hardik Pandya
The euphoria over India scorching Pakistan in a nail-biting finish at the MCG in the Saturday night thriller in the ICCC T20 World Cup refuses to die down. Apart from Virat Kohli‘s heroics and R.Ashwin‘s cerebral judgment in getting a wide declared when he was batting, the role of Hardik Pandya has also come into focus. Big time.
The Team India caravan rolled into Sydney on Monday evening. The next match is on Thursday against the Netherlands, which should be an easy one for the Men in Blue. Images from Melbourne are being played over and over again. One picture which has caught the eye is skipper Rohit Sharma hugging Kohli tight after the match.
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Hardik Pandya looks better as captain instead of KL Rahul
It has an expression like “Thanks for saving my job.” Everyone knows things have been hot and cold between the two since the ODI World cup in 2019 in England. The controversy was reported in detail when the dressing room was heated up. For its part, the BCCI tried putting a lid on it at that time.
On the field, you cannot make out much. The players — Rohit and Virat — are not standing next to each other all the time. In addition, the two superstars, have also been taking breaks. They skip matches as well as a few series, which is now accepted by the BCCI. What comes back into focus is fitness and form.
One match win against Pakistan has made billions happy. Yet, from here till winning the title is still a long way off. Kohli has shown his fitness is like that of a boxer. He is ready for the KO, and, is probably the only one who has not gone to the NCA in Bengaluru for rehab!
The list of those who have gone to the NCA is long.
There have been many mess-ups as well at the NCA, as all players have not recovered. The big question now is can Rohit withstand the rigours of non-stop cricket. His appearance is not athletic. He has a mild bulge in the midriff, which is not associated with cricketers. Comparing ages, he is 35, Kohli is 33 and Pandya is 29.
Questions are already being asked if Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain as well, will be fit to lead into the ICC World Cup (ODIs) in 2023. The tournament is one year away. However, that one year looks long. That apart, it’s not just about Rohit’s fitness, his form is also questionable. Can he hold onto the job till last year.
The iffs and butts are cropping up. The good part is people are now recognising there are others as well who can take on the leadership role. Here, the name of Hardik Pandya crops up. He led with panache in the IPL when Gujarat Titans sealed the title this summer. That was not a flash in the pan, as Pandya has gotten better with fitness and form.
He has been preparing slowly and steadily. After his back surgery and rehab, there were questions if he could bounce back and bowl. In T20, he has looked superb as a bowler. He is clicking at over 140kpmh, getting the ball to bounce and making the batsmen hop. He did that against the Tricky Pakis and took three wickets.
Add to that his 40 runs and vital partnership with Kohli, Pandya looks a good bet to be leader in future. Indian cricket and planning are quite alien to each other. In a hurry to sack Kohli, Rohit was made captain in all formats. His deputy KL Rahul has been a disaster. The appointment of Rohit and Rahul as leaders has been lousy.
The time has come when captaincy has to be given to someone who can perform. Indian cricket cannot afford the luxury of having some like Mike Brearley, who was there for England just because of his leadership skills. In 1992, we saw Pakistan being led by Imran Khan when he could not bowl due to injury. He played purely as a batsman and was a winning captain.
The time has come for India to look at leadership changes. Rohit as captain in all three formats is not good. There is no hurry to remove him but you cannot invest in players who are unsure of their own places. It was interesting to hear our friends from across the border, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis talk of Hardik Pandya as captaincy material.
These two Pakistanis are phenomenal in knowledge. Imagine, for an Indian to be praised by rival former speedsters is massive. Irrespective of the outcome of this World Cup, the new BCCI President Roger Binny will be watching all developments with a keen eye. Binny was a keen all-rounder in the 1983 campaign.
Hopefully, he will be planning for the 2023 World Cup in India. Oh, stop saying Pandya cannot lead in 50-over format. He looks in good shape, certainly better than his skipper Rohit Sharma. And if you think he cannot bowl a full 10 overs, it does not diminish his utility as an all-rounder.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)