"Hardik Pandya will get it right in terms of role clarity" - Ravi Shastri backs the all-rounder to translate his success from GT to Team India
Former Indian all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri feels that Hardik Pandya will have a clear and role-driven side when he eventually takes over the Indian T20I side in the future. The all-rounder has led the Men in Blue across several matches in the absence of Rohit Sharma and has been touted to be the next full-time captain as well.
One of the major takeaways from Hardik's stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT) as captain has been the ability to get the most out of players by giving them clarity behind their role as well as giving them a long rope.
Backing Hardik to instill the same principles into the Indian team as captain in the future, Ravi Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo's RunOrder:
"Hardik Pandya will get it right in terms of role clarity. He will know where he wants his six bowlers including himself and that's very important. Just seeing the way he has captained Gujarat Titans, you can see that there is a player for a number and there is a role as well. So, I think he will take that forward to the Indian team."
The all-rounder first led the national side during the away series against Ireland in 2022. Since then he has been captain across the tour of West Indies and New Zealand, as well as the home series in 2023 against Sri Lanka and the Kiwis.
Hardik has led Team India across 11 matches so far, securing eight wins and suffering two losses.
"If you want to win, you should not be scared of losing" - Ravi Shastri
It is evident that the Indian T20I team will head into a new direction following the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-final stage.
Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar might not be in the scheme of things anymore with a slew of youngsters waiting for a chance on the sidelines.
Stating the importance to have the right men at the right positions in the playing XI, Ravi Shastri said:
"If you want to win, you should not be scared of losing. You are bound to lose in going for that win. India should pick players on the basis of current form, who's hot at the moment and also where he has got the runs."
Shastri continued:
"It should not be a guy, that bats at No.3 or No.4 for his franchise, and suddenly you make him bat at 6 or open the innings. It should be the right man for the right number."
The top performers of this IPL season are bound to be rewarded, much like when Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh, and Umran Malik were called up after their successful 2022 season.