Since the IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya has become the most talked about topic of Indian cricket. His trade from Gujarat to Mumbai put him in front of questions. But the entire scenario changed after his exceptional bowling in the last over of the T20 World Cup. he became the hero overnight. But for the T20 series against Sri Lanka, team management appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the captain over Hardik Pandya. Former Team India manager Lalchand Rajput thinks the choice to select Suryakumar Yadav instead of Hardik Pandya was a smart move by the management.
Hardik’s Ups and Downs and Snub As T20 Captain:
This year, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya went through a lot. In the beginning, he was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans. Fans were not happy about that. The criticism took another big move when he was named as Mumbai Indian’s captain. But his T20 World Cup heroics changed the whole scenario.
After Rohit Sharma retired from T20 cricket, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were in the race to become Rohit’s successor in the shortest format. But the team management took an interesting step. Over Hardik Pandya, they appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the T20 series against Sri Lanka. It was a setback for Pandya.
Lalchand Rajput on Hardik’s Snub:
Former Team India manager Lalchand Rajput thinks choosing Suryakumar Yadav as T20I captain was a smart decision. He believes this move allows Hardik Pandya to focus on his role as an all-rounder, playing more freely and performing at his best.
He said, “I think the selectors must have thought in the line with coach, too. The management wants Hardik Pandya to do well. If they release him from captaincy, he can play freely and give his best performance with bat and ball.”
Later he added, “I heard the press conference of Ajit Agarkar, he said most of the time he was unfit. They need a captain who is fit to play all the games. That must have tilted the favour towards Suryakumar Yadav.”
Lastly, he added, “SKY has also been a captain of the Mumbai Ranji team and started early in the T20 format. He will lead the team in the best possible way.”
Rajput Wants to See Him in Longest Format:
Lalchand Rajput hopes Hardik Pandya will return to playing Test cricket for India. He believes Hardik can significantly impact games with both bat and ball. Rajput feels now is the right time to slowly bring Hardik back into the Test team, especially with a busy season ahead, including 10 matches against Bangladesh, and New Zealand, and a tough five-Test series in Australia.
He said, “I would love to see him in the red-ball cricket. He is a player who can change the course of the game in all three departments. If he could do well in red-ball cricket, that would add value to the team. He’s an all-rounder who can come at no.6 and also bowl a couple of overs.”
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