Pakistan legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis feel that all-rounder Hardik Pandya could be the “next Indian captain” given how he has performed for India and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Titans recently.
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Hardik Pandya scored 40 runs and took three wickets as India won their T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan on Sunday. While Virat Kohli with his knock of 82 not out clinched the player of the match award, the all-rounder contribution of Hardik also deserves a lot of praise. After the collapse of the top order, the duo joined hands and battled till the end in front of the fiery bowling attack of Pakistan. Kohli and Hardik stitched a crucial 113-run partnership which turned out to be the key to the victory.
While the entire world has been celebrating the roaring comeback of Kohli, former Pakistani cricketers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis during a conversation with A Sports, lauded Pandya for his immense contribution to the game.
Also Read: It was Virat Kohli’s night, but Hardik Pandya’s all-round hand shouldn’t go unnoticed
At the start of the conversation, Akram highlighted the composure Pandya showed while leading Gujarat Titans in the last season of the IPL. His very first assignment as a captain also concluded on a positive note as the franchise went on to lift the trophy in their maiden appearance. Referring to that, Akram said, “Hardik Pandya served as captain for the first time in the IPL and guided his team to victory. He is therefore capable of handling the pressure.”
According to Akram, Pandya’s self-belief also turned out to be a major factor in India’s triumph. “His team needs a finisher, and if you are mentally tough and have a great sense of self-worth, you can accomplish the job. Additionally, he was incredibly adept at reading the game to go deep,” the Pakistan legend stated.
In this context, Younis jumped into the conversation right away and stated that the Indian all-rounder could also be named India’s upcoming captain as he has been delivering such impressive performances in recent times. He asserted, “If he (Pandya) becomes the next Indian captain, I won’t be shocked.” Following the remark, Akram continued by saying that Pandya became a cool customer of the circuit since his IPL success with Gujarat.
While featuring for India, the all-rounder has been seen giving essential advice to skipper Rohit Sharma when required. “First serving as IPL captain, he eventually took home the title. He is learning and now, he has become a force in the squad. He also gives advice to the captain,” Akram added at the end.
While speaking at the post-match show, Kohli revealed that Pandya kept pushing him to take the game deep during the chase. Following the suggestion, Kohli gave himself time to get settled on the crease and accelerated the innings in the final phase and went hard on Haris Rauf in the 19th over. The consecutive sixes in that over unquestionably turned the fortune of the match.
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