‘Because I was with him…’- Hardik Pandya credits former India Cricketer for transforming him as a captain
Hardik Pandya led the India side in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He had previously led the side in the T20 series against Ireland, which India won 2-0. He will likely become India’s full-time captain in the T20 format, taking over from Rohit Sharma. Pandya has also led the Gujarat Franchise in the 2022 Indian T20 League and won the title in their maiden appearance.
The all-rounder has credited Ashish Nehra, the coach of Gujarat, for his success as a leader. He said that Nehra has transformed him into a leader. He also said that the positive equation that he had with Nehra when they played together for India helped them in working together at Gujarat in the Indian T20 League. Nehra and Pandya also had a great bond when they played for India.
Managing a young Team is not difficult- Hardik Pandya
“I have never led in junior cricket as well. When I was U16, I led for Baroda. … What has been very important from the Gujarat point of view is the kind of coach I worked with. Ashish Nehra made a big difference in my life – we are very similar cricketing thought-wise. Because I was with him, it added more value to my captaincy. It helped me to get exactly what I know. It was just getting assurance. It has definitely helped me.”
“Pandya then went on to talk about how he enjoyed leading a young side and how he found the experience “Managing (a young team) is not difficult. But, at the same point of time, it’s a young group. They will make mistakes and learn from it. We emphasise that once you make a mistake, you learn from that. Acceptance is very important in this sport. If you don’t accept it, things go very far.”
India had notable performances from Shivam Mavi, who picked 4-22 in the first T20I. In the third game, there were good performances with the bat from Shubman Gill, who scored 46 off 36 balls, with two fours and three sixes. Rahul Tripathi provided an impetus to the innings as he scored 35 off 16 balls, with five fours and two sixes.
