Hardik Pandya Picture Credit: BCCI
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has recently said he is open to being the Indian captain on a full-time basis as he led the team to a dominant win in the final match of the five-game T20I series against West Indies. The Men in Blue cruised to 88-run win thanks to an incredible performance by their spinners in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday to register a 4-1 series win.
While speaking in the post-match interview, Pandya said, “It's very special feeling to get a chance to lead your country. Obviously on then winning the game means a lot to me. Captain Ro did everything well before this game, so I just ensured that we kept doing the good work. (On captaincy) Why not? If given a chance, I'll be more than happy to do it. But for now, we have a World Cup coming, it's about getting better as a team.”
Hardik also addressed the incredible potential the Indian players have as they tend to play with flamboyance and fearlessness without worrying about failure. He expressed, “The kind of talent the players we have and the freedom we're getting, this is the New India. I can see players playing with freedom and not worrying about failing. And when you do that, you tend to do special things.”
Pandya then revealed his plan for Axar Patel in the second innings, as he wanted the left-arm spinner to bowl in the powerplay as he has the ability to take wickets right up top. He stated, “I wanted to give Axar the ball early because he is used to bowling in the powerplay, he is capable of holding his own and then with the wrist spinners, I knew we could get the wickets.
The IPL-winning captain also talked about team India’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He said, “It's about how we can get better from here. Preparation-wise we're ready for the World Cup but in this sport, you never stop learning. So it's about learning with each game.”