Hardik Pandya blushes when he is told that Indian cricket fans see him as a Kapil Dev in the making. But if you compare their limited overs cricket careers, the Baroda all-rounder is ahead of the Haryana Hurricane, whose 1983 World Cup victory changed the face of cricket in India.
Hardik Pandya’s consistent performance with the bat and ball has won him the Man of the Series award in the five-match ODI series between India and Australia. Rohit Sharma’s stunning century helped India clinch a one-sided game in Nagpur on Monday and a 4-1 scoreline against the 50-over world champions.
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli had special praise for all-rounder Pandya, who scored 222 runs and also picked up six wickets to emerge as the player-of-the-series. “Hardik Pandya is the biggest asset,” Kohli said in a post-match chat.
{{/usCountry}}Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli had special praise for all-rounder Pandya, who scored 222 runs and also picked up six wickets to emerge as the player-of-the-series. “Hardik Pandya is the biggest asset,” Kohli said in a post-match chat.
{{/usCountry}}Comparison with Kapil Dev may seem audacious at this stage, but Pandya, who will be 24 on October 11, is on track to match one of world cricket’s biggest all-rounders.
After 26 ODIs each, Hardik Pandya has scored more runs, taken more wickets and held more catches than Kapil Dev.
While Kapil scored 472 runs after 26 ODIs, Pandya managed 530; compared to Kapil’s 28 wickets, Pandya has 29. The Baroda all-rounder has held 10 catches, three more than Kapil.
Seen as India’s leading all-rounder, Hardik Pandya’s calibre will depend much on his longevity and consistency. Kapil Dev, now subject of a biopic, played 225 ODIs, scored 3783 runs and took 253 wickets. Pandya has a long way to go.