Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been considered by many experts and pundits as the next big thing in Indian cricket. He has proved his credentials in the last few months with his explosive batting style. He can decimate any bowling attack on his fay and doesn’t shy away from going after the bowlers from ball one. If the ball is in his arc, he can smash sixes at sheer will.
He has played the role of a finisher for the team a few times and has successfully helped India chase down the total. His abilities have already made many people consider him as a proper finisher who might take up the role of former Indian captain MS Dhoni who has been the best finisher in the limited overs format in the world over the last decade or so.
With both Dhoni and Pandya in the team, it gives Virat Kohli an added advantage in planning out his playing XI. While Dhoni is in the twilight of his career but he has proved time and again that he is still a force to reckon with. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli had hinted during the ODI series that Pandya can become a permanent No.4 for India in ODI’s which means Dhoni still has to take up the finisher’s role even in the last phase of his career.
Meanwhile a former Indian cricketer Karsan Ghavri doesn’t want Pandya to be compared with Dhoni as he feels the former captain is 1,000 times better finisher than Pandya having proved it over and over again.
“Please do not compare Dhoni with Hardik Pandya. It is true Pandya has a bright future ahead of him, but he is just climbing the ladder of India cricket, and Dhoni has proved it for so many years,” Ghavri told International Business Times, India.
“There is no competition when it comes to Dhoni’s finishing ability. He is 1,000 times better finisher than Pandya. Even today, Dhoni can change the game in a matter of four or five overs only,” he added.
Dhoni has been a proven customer over the years, and it is unjust to compare him with a relative newcomer like Pandya who is just 48 international matches old.