"Should continue as the skipper in T20Is" - Former Pakistan spinner backs Hardik Pandya to replace Rohit Sharma as captain in shortest format
Danish Kaneria reserved high praise for India's stand-in captain Hardik Pandya following the side's emphatic 65-run win over New Zealand in the second T20I of the series on Sunday, November 20.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria highlighted how Pandya was able to rotate his bowlers well during the fixture. Lauding the talismanic all-rounder's leadership prowess, he opined that the player should be appointed India's full-time T20I captain:
"Hardik Pandya looks like a very dangerous captain. He is a thinking cricketer and knows how to use his resources efficiently. He rotates his bowlers well. I think he should continue as the skipper in T20Is."
Notably, Pandya has received widespread appreciation for his impressive captaincy in T20 cricket, having led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to a championship triumph in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2022).
He also captained India in a two-match T20I series against Ireland in the absence of many senior players in June this year. The Hardik Pandya-led side completed a stunning 2-0 clean sweep in the series.
The 29-year-old appears to be the frontrunner to be at the helm of India's T20I side if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decides to introduce split captaincy.
"Must give him some rest at this stage" - Danish Kaneria wants Indian team management to monitor Arshdeep Singh's workload
Speaking about India's team selection, Kaneria opined that Team India should rest left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for a few games, given that he has been playing consistently of late.
He suggested that the side should consider giving bowlers like Umran Malik and Kuldeep Yadav a go in Arshdeep's absence for the third and final T20I against New Zealand.
On this, Kaneria said:
"Arshdeep Singh has played a lot of matches. While India have identified him as their premier bowler, they must give him some rest at this stage. They have other bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav and Umran Malik who can come into the side in place of Arshdeep for the remaining games."
The former cricketer mentioned that both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav should feature together, given that they have done exceedingly well while bowling in tandem. He underlined that both the spinners are wicket-taking options and that their presence would benefit the team.
He elaborated:
"India must play both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav together. The pair have won a lot of matches for their side in the past. Kuldeep is a proven campaigner and has looked in impressive form in recent outings. They are both very attacking bowlers. Yes, they might leak runs, but they will also get you wickets."
A well deserved Player of the Match award for @surya_14kumar as #TeamIndia win by 65 runs in the 2nd T20I 👏👏
Scorecard - bit.ly/NZvIND-2NDT20I #NZvIND https://t.co/TuYSRsIIgQ
India and New Zealand are set to battle it out in the third T20I of the series in Napier on Tuesday, November 22. The visitors currently have a 1-0 lead to their name, making the final fixture a must-win encounter for the Kiwis.