The former Indian cricketer Lalchand Rajput has heaped praises on Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and has said that he is an ideal all-rounder for Indian cricket team after Kapil Dev,
“Hardik Pandya is an exceptional cricketer. The talent he has got, I have seen him at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) and then he was with me at the Zonal Camp (ZCA). He has got tremendous talent. He is an ideal all-rounder after Kapil Dev,” Rajput told PTI.
Pandya has drawn immediate attention due to his prowess in both the departments of the game and in addition to that, he is also an excellent fielder, which adds to his weight. Though Indian team management is still confused whether to hand him the new ball still, Pandya has done the job in hand quite well.
In the first ODI against Australia in Chennai, Pandya showed patience at the start when the team needed both the batsmen to stay at the crease. He batted opposite to what he is known as he steered the team ahead with MS Dhoni, to help team India post a total of 281 on the board, which turned out to be a match-winning one. Rajput too mentioned about the innings and continued to praise the youngster,
“Because his batting is excellent, he can play in all formats. Earlier, people used to say he is good in a shorter version, but in a Test match also he can turn the game. He took the first game away from the Australians (in Chennai). He can clear boundaries at will and that’s the hallmark of a good batsman. His bowling is good and he is an outstanding fielder. He has the ingredients to be the next Kapil Dev. But still, he has to perform up to a level to attain Kapil’s stature. But certainly, he has it in him to be the all-rounder that the Indian team was looking at,” Rajput added.
Since his debut, Pandya has always been projected as the next Kapil Dev as selectors themselves called him as the next legend when he scored a century against Sri Laka in the Tests series. Surely, he has emerged out as a long-term prospect for the Indian team, and he can fulfill team India’s quest of having that one pace bowling all-rounder which they are looking for after Kapil Dev.