India vs Australia : “There are very few players like him” – Gautam Gambhir compares Hardik Pandya with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni following Sydney heroics

India vs Australia : “There are very few players like him” – Gautam Gambhir compares Hardik Pandya with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni following Sydney heroics

Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni (L-R)

Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni (L-R)
Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni (L-R)

Coming off a back injury, Hardik Pandya has taken the white ball series against Australia by storm. The lanky allrounder played two 90+ innings in the ODI series before taking India over the line in the second T20I. Pandya smashed 44 off 22 balls as he helped India clinch the game and the series in a last-over thriller. Owing to his injury, Pandya has been included in the side as a specialist batsman and he has stood up to the new role.

Following MS Dhoni‘s retirement, India was in desperate need of a finisher and Pandya has risen to the occasion. His unbelievable consistency with the bat has garnered praise from all quarters as the cricketing fraternity hailed his hitting prowess. And former India opener Gautam Gambhir joined his colleagues in heaping praises for the Vadodara lad.

Pandya capable of chasing any target

Hardik Pandya

Gambhir shares that Pandya has been doing a role for the Mumbai Indians and hence adapted to the role very easily. The Delhi opener explains that he is coming off a fabulous season in the Indian Premier League. And that has boosted his confidence many folds. Gambhir even went on to compare the budding finisher to the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni. He feels that Pandya has the ability to chase any total.

“Hardik Pandya has played these kinds of innings in the Indian Premier League, and when you come into international cricket on the back of good innings in the IPL, then your confidence is very high. Pandya has played innings like these for Mumbai Indians. So, in that sense, he did not do anything new on Sunday (against Australia in 2nd T20I),” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.

“There are very few players like Hardik Pandya, there was Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni earlier and there is Glenn Maxwell now, they are capable of chasing any total or any target. Even if you need 20-25 runs in the last over, these players make you believe that they can score it,” he adds.

With Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the T20 series, Pandya had an added responsibility going into the second T20I. And the swashbuckling all-rounder stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. Pandya will be hoping to replicate his heroics as India look to whitewash the Aussies going into the final encounter.

Also read : “Me Too” – Virat Kohli reacts to “Miss you MS Dhoni” banner during second T20I against Australia