‘Hardik Pandya will be perfect at no.4 for India,' believes Daniel Vettori

Hardik Pandya enjoyed a lucrative Indian Premier 2022 season for the Gujarat Titans as a player as well as the leader of the pack. Leading from the front, Pandya helped the Titans defeat Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in the final to lift the trophy, with the skipper claiming the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

The dynamic right-hander piled up 487 runs across 15 matches with the bat, thus registering his Magnum Opus performance in a single season. He also bagged eight wickets in the tournament, including a three-for in the final itself.

While the Baroda-based all-rounder has not featured in any international match since India’s disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup last year, he just made a loud knock on the selector’s doors through his IPL 2022 spectacle. The cricketer will now be seen in India’s home T20I series against South Africa.

Pandya’s recent insurgency as an abled leader and as a batsman presents a rare problem for the Indian think-tank ahead of the looming T20 World Cup in Australia. The Indian T20 line-up already consists of dashing power-hitters like Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer. However, the Indian team is yet to hand out permanent batting slots to its crucial middle-order.

Keeping this in mind, former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori believes that the Indian team management should consider the triumphant IPL 2022 skipper at number 4. While interacting with ESPNCricinfo, Vettori said: 

“If you can fit him in at No. 4, I think, go for it. That’s the perfect position for him. You don’t want to take anything away from the likes of Suryakumar Yadav. But, if this option is there, it will be great. As of now, though, it feels like he’s going to slot into No.5, with Pant potentially dropping down to six."

Hardik Pandya will soon join the Indian camp for the upcoming home series against South Africa. Under the leadership of KL Rahul, the Men in Blue will face the Proteas in the first T20I on June 9 at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.