IPL 2023
Assuring that he is a people person, Hardik Pandya is confident that he has the skills to take along players, who he is forced to bench due to combination compulsion.
The Baroda all-rounder led India to a 1-0 series win in New Zealand and is being considered an ideal replacement for Rohit Sharma in the shortest format.
Pandya said if he is considered for a leadership role in the future, he will captain the side in his own way and his team will display the brand of cricket he knows best.
The series against New Zealand was Pandya’s second T20 series as captain after leading the side against Ireland in June.
When he was asked how he perceives the views of Sunil Gavaskar or Ravi Shastri, who see in him a long-term captain.
“If people are saying, you feel good about it but till something happens (official announcement), you can’t say,” Pandya said after the rain-hit third T20I.
“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. 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 the future, we will see,” the Baroda player said.
Flamboyant batter Sanju Samson and speed merchant Umran Malik missed out on game time during the series but Pandya insisted that there is “enough time” for everyone to get “enough opportunities” and a “long rope”.
“Had it been a bigger series and not three games, we could have played them. But I don’t believe in chop and change in a short series and going forward also that will be my philosophy,” he added.
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