Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif hailed Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya for his valuable contribution to the Indian team in recent times. There is no doubt that Pandya is the best all-rounder for India at the moment in the white-ball format of the game and stepped up for the Men in Blue in the crunch moment of the game.
The Indian all-rounder has shown the potential to lead India in the limited opportunities for Men in Blue. The experienced Indian all-rounder has been backed by several experts and fans to become India’s full-time limited-overs captain once Rohit Sharma’s reign comes to an end and could be crucial for the team’s success in going into the World Cup in India.
Speaking On Star Sports, Mohammad Kaif praised Hardik Pandya for his responsible innings against arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening game of the Asia Cup 2023 as he rattled the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in the Super Four stage and was praised for maintaining his calm to bat the team out of trouble from various positions.
“When India was in trouble against Pakistan, Hardik rose to the occasion and scored 87 runs and built a vital partnership with Ishan Kishan. In the second meeting against Pakistan, he got the prized wicket of Babar Azam. So, he is a match-winner.
“When the team is in trouble, Hardik bails his side out of the situation. When the top-order collapses, Hardik steps up and plays a match-winning knock. In my eyes, Hardik Pandya is the backbone of this Indian team,” Mohammad Kaif said.
Hardik Pandya batted exceedingly well in the game alongside Ishan Kishan in the opening game of the Asia Cup, as he showed a lot of temperament to score runs before taking on the bowlers but fell short of a well-deserved century by 13 runs against Pakistan and bowled well in the provided opportunities.
Mohammad Kaif lauded young Indian opener Shubman Gill for showing excellent composure in the Asia Cup 2023 to be the highest run-getter in the tournament and for his game plan in the spin-friendly conditions of Colombo.
“When you play a multi-national tournament, it is not easy to get the runs. But Shubman Gill was there and played the shots well. He understands how to get maximums or boundaries in a spin-friendly track, how to play the new ball as well to improvise his game towards the fag end of the match. He is turning out to be a terrific player,” Mohammad Kaif added.
India will take on host nation Sri Lanka in the finals of the marquee event in Colombo and the Men in Blue will be challenged by Dasun Shanaka-led side in front of their home crowd, who are expected to be full numbers to support their team on Sunday.
