Since leading Gujarat Titans to glory in the IPL, Hardik Pandya has shown that he relishes the role of captaincy. Pandya was given the opportunity to lead the national team in the two-match T20I series against Ireland and then he led the team against West Indies in the fifth game of the series in Florida on Sunday as Rohit Sharma was rested.
India went on to win the match by a mammoth margin of 88 runs after bundling out the opposition at 100 runs. The visitors had posted a par score of 188 runs after Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to bat first.
Pandya admitted that if he will be given a chance to lead the team permanently, he will be more than happy to do it. It has been observed that Pandya is enjoying the extra responsibility of captaincy and he is also getting the best out of his players, as he had done while leading Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
Pandya was also able to deliver the goods with both bat and ball and made crucial contributions in both departments.
Meanwhile, Pandya said that the team is growing in confidence as the young players are grabbing their opportunities with both hands. The team management has given ample chances to the young players in the recent past and they have been able to grab them, which is helping the team tick the right boxes.
Hardik Pandya said in the post-match presentation, “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.”
He added, “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. 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. 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.”
India has been coming up with collective efforts and they will look to continue the same in the upcoming series against Zimbabwe. The first ODI will be played at Harare on 18th August.
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