Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'It has to be him, I'm damn impressed': Senior India cricketer backs Hardik Pandya for India captaincy
Hardik's captaincy for Gujarat Titans has been one of the key talking points after the India all-rounder guided the team to the top of the points table on Thursday.
The 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gives a glimpse into the India's future captaincy options among many other aspects. Shreyas Iyer, who previously led Delhi Capitals (DC), is presently leading Kolkata Knight Riders while Rishabh Pant continues to captain the DC side. Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile is captaining Chennai Super Kings and Hardik Pandya is the leader of Gujarat Titans. IPL 2022 offers as many as four options and veterans of the sport have already been throwing their opinions on who could replace Rohit Sharma as India's future captain.
Hardik's captaincy for Gujarat Titans has been one of the key talking points after the India all-rounder guided the team to the top of the points table following a comprehensive 37-run win against Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on Thursday. Hardik led from the front in all department - he scored an impressive 89, picked a wicket and made notable contributions as a fielder as well.
Mighty impressed with his all-round show as his captaincy, veteran India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has backed Hardik to replace Rohit as India captain in the white-ball format in the future.
"If ever there is a debate on who is going to replace or in competition for Captaining team India in shorter format then it has to be @hardikpandya Yes watever little I have seen of him in this #IPL as far his leadership skill is concerned, I’m damn impressed wit it #RRvGT," he tweeted.
Besides helping Gujarat to top the chart after five games, where they have lost only once and are the only side in IPL 2022 to have won at all the venues, Hardik has made an impressive return as an all-rounder. With his 228 runs in five innings, Hardik stands second in the Orange Cap list, which includes back-to-back fifties. He has also picked four wickets at an economy rate of 7.56.
"Captaincy is always fun because it allows me to take responsibility and be the flag-bearer. I'm very happy with the way the group is shaping up to be. They are carrying one another. That's the motto of the team as well. I wanted everyone to be happy for each other's success and play as a team. That's something that's working for us," Hardik said of his captaincy after the match against Rajasthan.
