"Hardik Pandya's bowling has been the silver lining for Team India" - Reetinder Sodhi
Former cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi feels that all-rounder Hardik Pandya's bowling has greatly aided Team India's white-ball performance.
Speaking to India News Sports, Sodhi pointed out that Pandya has significantly contributed as a bowler for the Men in Blue in their recent encounters. He opined that the all-rounder's renewed vigor since last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a big positive.
"Hardik Pandya's bowling has been the silver lining for Team India lately, Sodhi explained. "We were all waiting for him to get fit so that he could bowl his full quota of overs. His batting was never a concern.
"He has been a different player since the IPL. He has been bowling well and at an impressive pace. He seems to have found a newfound energy in his bowling. He is doing what we expect from a genuine all-rounder."
A proud Captain @hardikpandya7 collects the trophy as #TeamIndia win the T20I series 2-1.
#INDvSL @mastercardindia https://t.co/hzpOrocYjU
Meanwhile, the Hardik Pandya-led side completed a stunning 2-1 T20I series win over Sri Lanka following their 91-run victory in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7. While the skipper failed with the bat, he bowled a tidy spell with the ball, picking up two crucial wickets.
"Made the right calls whenever he won the toss" - Saba Karim on Hardik Pandya's captaincy
During the aforementioned discussion, former keeper-batter Saba Karim praised Hardik Pandya for his inspired captaincy in the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka.
He noted that Pandya made the right decisions after winning the toss in the first and third T20Is. Karim was also impressed with the captain putting the side in tough positions during the series, suggesting that the change in approach is going to benefit the Indian team.
"Hardik made the right calls whenever he won the toss, he added. "He elected to bowl first in Pune, where teams batting first have a better record. He chose to bat first in the third T20I. Putting the team in an uncomfortable position and learning from it shows that there has been a big improvement in the Indian team's approach."
Picture perfect! 📷
#TeamIndia https://t.co/N68FerBHOk
Notably, Pandya will next be seen in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka beginning on Tuesday, January 10. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma will return to lead the team for the 50-over fixtures.