T20 World Cup 2024

‘With all due respect to Dravid’ – Harbhajan Singh wants Rahul Dravid to be replaced by this player as coach in T20Is

After India’s humiliating loss in the semi-finals of the 20-20 World Cup 2022 several former cricketers have called for numerous changes in the team. Jumping onto the bandwagon former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has also asked for Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya to be appointed as team India’s coach and captain respectively.

Harbhajan said that Team India needs someone who understands the format better and has played T20 cricket recently.

“It’s not just the captain. If you can bring someone who has just retired from T20 cricket recently, someone who understands the format,” Harbhajan told India Today.

“You know, with all due respect to Rahul Dravid, he was my colleague and we played a lot of cricket together, he has a great brain. But I think if you don’t want to remove Dravid from T20I as a coach then help him with someone who has recently retired. Someone like Ashish Nehra who has got a great cricketing brain. Look what he has done there at Gujarat Franchise,” Harbhajan added.

Hardik Pandya to lead India in New Zealand

“It will also encourage the young guys with what Ashish will bring into the team. It could also be anyone, who just retired. For captaincy, Hardik Pandya is my choice. There is no better choice. He is the best player in the team and you need more people like him in the team,” said the former India spinner.

Hardik Pandya scored a magnificent 63 off 33 in the semi-final against England to take India to the total of 168. However, his efforts went in vain as Jos Buttler and Alex Hales rolled over India with a 10-wicket win on Thursday. England will now meet Pakistan in the final of the 20-20 World Cup at the MCG on November 13.

He captained the side on India’s tour to Ireland and won the series 2-0 in June. Hardik has made a remarkable comeback to international cricket after getting sidelined from the T20I side following the 2021 20-20 World Cup. Many experts have asked for him to be made the captain of the side going forward.

Hardik will be captaining the Indian side on their upcoming tour to New Zealand in the T20I series starting 18th November.