Several solid claimants have emerged in the recent months for the India captaincy in T20Is. With Virat Kohli stepping down after T20 World Cup last year, the role was handed over to Rohit Sharma.
During the IPL 2022, Rohit’s Mumbai Indians finished last in the 10-team competition. However, Hardik Pandya, in his maiden assignment as a full-time captain of an IPL franchise, guided newbie Gujarat Titans to the title in emphatic fashion.
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Since then, calls for his promotion as India T20I captain have been growing loud. In the ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home, KL Rahul was to led in the absence of rested Rohit. However, an unfortunate injury ended on the series eve put an end to his participation with Rishabh Pant being appointed as the captain.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg though reckons that it should be Pandya leading the India T20I team as the star allrounder has already proved his credentials in IPL.
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“Hardik Pandya should be captain of this T20 team in front of Rahul,” Hogg said in a video on his Instagram account. “He proved his worth in the IPL. He wants those tough moments when the team’s back is against the wall. He wants to go out there and deliver, whether it’s with a bat or ball.”
Pandya has also shown he can mould his role with the bat as per the match situation be it as an accumulator or switch to a pinch-hitter.
Hogg termed Pandya as the ‘most valuable T20 cricketer’ right now in the world.
“The other night (1st T20I vs South Africa in Delhi), he came in during those final overs and was able to find the boundary from ball one. Not too many people can do that. And he can go up and do the job at the top of the order if they lose early wickets as well. He is the most valuable T20 cricketer going around in world cricket right now,” he said.
India are trailing 0-2 in the five-match T20I series.
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