‘Hardik Pandya obviously is in line but…’ – Gautam Gambhir’s surprising pick to compete with allrounder for captaincy
Hardik Pandya impressed India selectors after his captaincy stint in the Indian T20 League 2022.
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Nov 28, 2022 3:16 pm
Hardik Pandya-Gautam Gambhir (Source: Twitter)
With Hardik Pandya impressing India selectors after his captaincy stint in the Indian T20 League 2022 and then in Ireland and New Zealand T20I series, there is growing speculation among veteran cricketers and experts that the all-rounder is the best candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as the Indian team’s next captain.
Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir supports Hardik taking over as captain but adds another name to the list of possible future captains by making an unusual choice.
“Hardik Pandya obviously is in line,” Gambhir said at an event organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi on Sunday. “But that’s going to be unfortunate for Rohit because I think judging his captaincy in only one ICC event is not the right way to probably judge him.”
Prithvi Shaw is one I feel can be a very aggressive captain: Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir, however, believes that Prithvi Shaw is a viable option to lead the Indian team. However, despite being suspended in 2019 for a doping violation and struggling with fitness issues, the batter has failed to be a consistent member of the Indian squad. He last played for India in July 2021, for a second-string Indian side on a tour in Sri Lanka.
“The reason I’ve picked Prithvi Shaw, I know a lot of people talk about his off-field activities, but that is what the job of the coach and the selectors are,” Gambhir said. “The selectors’ job isn’t just to pick the 15, but also to get people walk the right path. Prithvi Shaw is one I feel can be a very aggressive captain, a very successful captain because you see that aggression in the way a person plays the sport.”
Hardik never had a chance to be the next India captain. However, Hardik’s name shot to the top of the list after leading Gujarat to an impressive Indian T20 League title win in his first-ever stint as a captain in any tournament. Shaw, on the other hand, does have captaincy experience, most notably leading India’s U-19 team to a World Cup victory in 2018.
