With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, the Indian team management will look to get their combination straight and the upcoming series against South Africa presents them with a great opportunity. India are scheduled to play five T20Is against the Proteas, starting from June 9, following which they will leave for England, where they'll take part in another white-ball series and the rescheduled suspended fifth Test between the two nations. (IPL 2022 full coverage)
Looking at the current set of players and their form in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), New Zealand great Daniel Vettori has offered a word of advice for the Indian management to solve the number four conundrum in the shorter format.
The Men in Blue have tried different names, such as Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer in that spot but are yet to make a concrete decision on who should walk out in the crucial middle-order slot.
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Keeping this in mind, Vettori feels that the management should consider latest IPL winning skipper Hardik Pandya for the number four slot, which he believes will be the ‘perfect’ position for the all-rounder.
“If you can fit him in at No. 4, I think, go for it. That’s the perfect position for him. You don’t want to take anything away from the likes of Suryakumar Yadav. But, if this option is there, it will be great. As of now, though, it feels like he’s going to slot into No.5, with Pant potentially dropping down to six," the former New Zealand captain noted during an interaction on ESPNCricinfo.
{{/usCountry}}“If you can fit him in at No. 4, I think, go for it. That’s the perfect position for him. You don’t want to take anything away from the likes of Suryakumar Yadav. But, if this option is there, it will be great. As of now, though, it feels like he’s going to slot into No.5, with Pant potentially dropping down to six," the former New Zealand captain noted during an interaction on ESPNCricinfo.
{{/usCountry}}Batting at a strike-rate of 131.27, Pandya amassed 487 runs in the 15 matches he played in IPL 2022. With the bowl, he scalped eight wickets and bowled 30.3 overs at an economy of less than 8.