'Hardik Pandya Is Going To Captain India'- Michael Vaughan
Vaughan has backed Hardik for India captaincy [AP Photos]
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has claimed that all-rounder Hardik Pandya is a perfect fit to lead India in white-ball formats.
Pandya will lead the Gujarat Titans in their second successive IPL final on Sunday night, and if his team manages to beat CSK, then he will become only the 3rd captain after MS Dhoni (2010 & 2011) and Rohit Sharma (2019 & 2020) to win back-to-back titles in IPL history.
Hardik has been leading India in T20Is since the last World Cup, but he is yet to be announced as a permanent replacement to Rohit Sharma.
Speaking on CricBuzz Live, Vaughan was full of praise for Hardik's body-language, his leadership skills and tactical acumen, adding that the Baroda cricketer has got the midas touch.
"Hardik Pandya is going to captain India. I can convince all of you listening to this, that he is going to captain India. I don't know when it is going to be. He will captain India in white-ball cricket. He has got the calmness, he has got the game. I'm worried about his injury to his back, but he has just got that person right in the middle,”
"You can see his body language. The way he maneuvers his field calmly. The way he makes his bowling changes. Yes, he has got two outstanding spinners and Mohammed Shami, who has been the best seamer in the tournament. You need bowlers as a captain. He has got that midas touch you need to be an outstanding white-ball captain,” Vaughan added.
Hardik will look to add another IPL medal to his kitty when GT lock horns with CSK in the summit clash of the 2023 season in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 28.