Last Updated: January 12, 2023, 10:21 AM IST
Hardik Pandya had injury concerns in the past. (AFP Photo)
Hardik Pandya has emerged as the prime candidate to lead India in T20Is with few even suggesting handing over the ODI reins to him as well when the time comes
With India’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in the semis, there seems to be a visible change in the team setup in the shortest format with youngsters being given the preference and unconfirmed reports claiming that the management has moved on from senior players including the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.
Hardik Pandya, who continues to prove his leadership skills, has emerged as the top candidate to replace Rohit as India’s T20I captain with few even suggesting he should lead in ODIs as well.
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Mohammad Azharuddin, who led India for a significant period between 1990 and 1999, has praised Pandya’s captaincy but warned the allrounder that he needs to be cautious of his fitness considering how a troubled back pushed him into the sidelines for a long time.
“Hardik has looked good as a leader and seems that he can carry the team along. But he needs to be careful about his back as he had been out for a long time,” Azhar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“India would need Hardik, the all-rounder and we can’t afford to risk injuries. Hardik has got a young team and that’s the way forward. To forge a winning combination, it will need strong co-ordination for the upcoming T20 series,” he added.
Azhar predicted that both Rohit and Kohli will do well at the 2023 ODI World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India, most likely in October-November.
“Both are very good and classy players and they have done well in the past too , as the records say. I do believe Kohli and Rohit will do fairly well in the World Cup. In ODI format, they have always been pretty consistent,” he said.
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Of late, the selectors have been criticised for their decisions and Azhar thinks that Chetan Sharma, the chairman of the selection committee, should publicly address what the management is planning for the team’s future.
“Definitely, Chetan is supposed to be doing at least one or two press conferences and should tell that what is the way forward for the current Indian team,” he said.
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