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"Shubman Gill Anyday But...": Suresh Raina Backs Pandya's MS Dhoni-Like Captaincy

Soumyajit Dutta

Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni [Source: @gagan_narang/X.com]Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni [Source: @gagan_narang/X.com]

Former cricketer Suresh Raina believes Hardik Pandya has the qualities to lead India in white-ball cricket, ahead of young opener Shubman Gill. While many experts have suggested that Shubman Gill could take over the ODI captaincy once Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli step down, Suresh Raina offered a different take. 

Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel, the former India batter backed Hardik Pandya as a strong choice for the role, citing his leadership skills and all-round ability.

Raina highlights Dhoni-like traits in Hardik

Raina explained that Pandya’s positivity, energy, and ability to inspire teammates remind him of MS Dhoni. He also drew parallels with Kapil Dev, India’s first World Cup-winning captain.

“Shubman Gill any day, the way they decide, but I think Hardik Pandya will do a lot of miracles in white-ball cricket as a captain. Even Shubman Gill can be that guy. Hopefully, he [Hardik] should become captain again. He has experience like Kapil Paji whether it’s batting, bowling or fielding,” Raina said on the podcast.


“And he’s a very, very positive guy. The way he has performed, he is a captain for the players. I see a glimpse of MS Dhoni in him — the way he interacts, conducts himself on the ground, the energy, I like the most,” Raina added.

Hardik Pandya’s captaincy credentials

Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to an IPL title in their debut season in 2022. He was also in contention to become India’s full-time T20I captain last year after Rohit and Kohli stepped away from the format. However, the selectors handed the role to Suryakumar Yadav, citing concerns over Hardik’s fitness.

So far in ODIs, Hardik Pandya has played 94 matches, scoring 1,904 runs at an average of 32.82 and a strike rate of 110.89. With the ball, he has taken 91 wickets at an economy of 5.60.