'Mahi bhai is here...': Hardik Pandya's stunning reply to reporter's query on MS Dhoni before 1st T20I vs New Zealand

After Hardik Pandya's recent post starring MS Dhoni became the talk of the town on social media, the stand-in Indian skipper was asked about his epic reunion with the legendary cricketer ahead of the 1st T20I between hosts India and New Zealand.

Even though Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has no plans of bowing out from the shortest format of the game, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has emerged as a leading candidate to take over the T20I captaincy after the ICC World Cup 2022. In the absence of all-format captain Rohit, the white-ball maverick will once again be resuming the T20I captaincy as India are set to host New Zealand for a three-match series.

Pandya-led Team India had a special interaction with Dhoni on the eve of the 1st T20I in Ranchi(ANI-AP)

Pandya-led Team India will meet the Black Caps in the series opener on Friday at Ranchi. Breaking the internet ahead of the series opener, Pandya teamed up with Ranchi's very own MS Dhoni for a blockbuster post on social media. As Pandya's recent post starring Thala Dhoni became an instant hit, the stand-in skipper was asked about his brief reunion with the legendary cricketer in a press conference.

Pandya-led Team India had a special interaction with Dhoni on the eve of the 1st T20I in Ranchi. So what do Pandya and Dhoni talk about? According to Team India's T20I captain, he has already taken all the tips from the Ranchi stalwart during his playing days with the former Indian cricketer.

"Mahi bhai is here which is good as we get to meet him. We can get out of the hotel also (to meet him). Otherwise, the way we have played in the last one month, it has just been hotel to hotel. And when we meet we try to talk about life rather than the game. When we played together I learned a lot from him. I have squeezed a lot out of him (knowledge), there is not much left," Pandya told reporters during the traditional pre-match press conference in Ranchi.

Pandya was the vice-captain of the Indian side that recently hammered New Zealand 3-0 in the One Day International (ODI) series. The newly promoted vice-captain has been tasked to produce a similar result in the upcoming T20I series. This will be the third straight T20I series for Pandya where he is assigned to lead the Men In Blue. Pandya's young Indian side will meet New Zealand in the first T20I of the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on Friday.