Former Indian pacer Pragyan Ojha has backed Hardik Pandya to bounce back after the disappointment of missing out on the T20I captaincy.
The star all-rounder was expected to become India’s new T20I captain after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format last month. There were some doubts over Hardik Pandya’s captaincy credentials after his poor IPL campaign, but he strengthened his position with an impressive display at the T20 World Cup.
He was India’s vice-captain in the tournament and lived up to expectations. The 30-year-old made a huge impact with both bat and ball as India won the T20 World Cup after a gap of 17 years. With the bat, he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 44 and a strike rate of over 150, besides picking up 11 wickets.
As expected, Hardik Pandya was expected to be the first choice as captain after his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup and his experience as a captain. However, the selectors and the team management decided to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain.
Many believe that the decision was harsh on the all-rounder and that he deserved the captaincy more than Suryakumar. However, former Indian pacer Pragyan Ojha backed the selectors’ decision, saying that they were right in picking Suryakumar, who is not injury-prone like Pandya. He also explained why it is important to have a captain who can play regularly.
“Fitness is a very important aspect. I think this decision has been taken because the selectors, coach and management believe that if we want to win the World Cup again, the captain has to play consistently. If there are forced changes due to injury, the entire dynamic of the team will change,” Pragyan Ojha told Sports Tak.
Pragyan Ojha backs Hardik Pandya:
Pragyan Ojha also backed Hardik Pandya’s comeback. The former pacer said the latest disappointment will motivate Panday to perform even better. Ojha highlighted how Pandya bounced back in the T20 World Cup after a poor IPL campaign, where he struggled both as a captain and an all-rounder.
“However, if we talk about Hardik Pandya, he is a happy-go-lucky character. I think this will motivate him further to act,” Pragyan Ojha said.
“If you look at it, right after the IPL, he came into the team as vice-captain and his place in the team was in question. But the way he played…
“I feel like he’s the kind of character that if he feels like something isn’t going his way, it just motivates him even more,” she added.
Meanwhile, both Pandya and Suryakumar will be in action later this week when Team India and Sri Lanka lock horns in the three-match T20I series. The first match is scheduled for July 27.