Picture Credit: Twitter
Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is having the time of his life. After a superb performance during IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya got a national recall and made a remarkable comeback with his performance in the five-match T20I series against South Africa. While players like Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant touring England for a multi-format series, Pandya was trusted with the responsibility to lead the squad in twin T20Is against Ireland.
Under the leadership of Hardik, Team India has already won the series opener on Sunday, and will step as favourites in the 2nd T20I. The star all-rounder who was once written off by most of the cricket pundits has now become a vital cog in the squad and as per unconfirmed media reports, Indian selectors are considering giving Hardik an extended run as T20I captain.
A report published in Inside Sports quoted a member of the selection committee claiming that as India is scheduled to take many short tours in future and his name is not in the Test squad, Pandya might be considered as a possible option to lead the squad.
"There is no question of replacing Rohit Sharma anytime soon. But at the same time, it is important to manage his workload. Yes, Hardik is in our plans as there will be many short tours in the future and he is not in Test plans at the moment,” a member of the selection committee was quoted in the report.
Former Indian batter Virendra Sehwag also recently claimed that the BCCI must think of relieving Rohit Sharma from T20I captaincy citing his age and over workload. “If the Indian team management has someone else in mind as captain in the T20 format, then I think, Rohit could be relieved and the following can be taken into consideration going forward,” Sehwag told PTI in an interview.
Sehwag suggested it would help Rohit to manage mental and physical fatigue given his age. "It will also help Rohit to take frequent breaks to rejuvenate himself to lead in Tests and ODIs," he added.