Ever since his return following a back injury, Hardik Pandya has been enjoying a phenomenal outing. The all-rounder led debutants Gujarat Titans in his first stint as captain to Indian Premier League glory and his reputation as a leader has only risen since.
Not only in the IPL, but Pandya has also led India on occasions when senior members weren't available in Ireland and New Zealand, helping India clinch series in both the outings. Now with India embarking a new approach in the shorter format with an eye on the T20 World Cup 2024, Pandya once again passed the captaincy test with flying colors. Pandya-led Indian unit secured a 2-1 T20I series win against Sri Lanka.
The outcome has reignited the debate if India should consider Pandya as a replacement for Rohit in the T20Is. Sharing his views on the same, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja believes that Rohit himself should handover the captaincy to Pandya as MS Dhoni did with Virat Kohli in the past.
"He (Pandya) used Umran well, he's done all the right things. The only thing, when I see him again I'll say just because a week ago you were not captain and a week later you are doesn't mean you don't have to run as fast as you were running or fielding. Or being as athletic as you were, you as a player should not go down. And just don't worry about the team alone, because you as a champion player is more important than leading.
{{/usCountry}}"He (Pandya) used Umran well, he's done all the right things. The only thing, when I see him again I'll say just because a week ago you were not captain and a week later you are doesn't mean you don't have to run as fast as you were running or fielding. Or being as athletic as you were, you as a player should not go down. And just don't worry about the team alone, because you as a champion player is more important than leading.
{{/usCountry}}“At the moment we've still got Rohit Sharma, who has been leading and his records show that he is the best captain. There is never a king waiting, all kings had to grab their place. Because waiting means it's the right of a king who he gives it to. Like Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave it to Virat Kohli, it wasn't the board or selectors. Mahendra Singh Dhoni who picked Virat Kohli and said I think you should take it on from here. I feel that's how it should be,” noted Jadeja during an interaction on Cricbuzz.