“He is not scared of taking risks” - Wasim Jaffer praises Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in T20Is vs New Zealand
Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer is highly impressed with the manner in which Hardik Pandya led the Men in Blue in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand. Describing the all-rounder as a brave captain, Jaffer stated that he is enjoying the additional responsibilities as of now.
With regular captain Rohit Sharma being rested for the New Zealand tour, Pandya was named captain for the T20I series. Team India clinched the rain-marred series 1-0, continuing their domination in bilateral contests.
In the wake of India’s semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup in Australia, calls have been growing for Rohit to be replaced as T20I captain by Pandya. While not looking that far ahead, Jaffer praised the all-rounder and told ESPNcricinfo:
“He is not scared of taking risks. We saw that he gave (Deepak) Hooda in the 19th over in the last match. Hooda has not been trusted with the ball in the past. But he gave good returns, claiming three wickets in the last over. Hardik will have to face failures as well going forward, but he looks like a brave captain.”
Post-win handshakes and smiles as #TeamIndia sign off from Napier with a series win 🤝🏆
#NZvIND https://t.co/jjGd2RfPv3
Elaborating on the standout aspects of Pandya’s leadership, Jaffer picked his calm demeanor and the space he gives teammates to express themselves. The former India opener stated:
“I have been following Hardik’s captaincy since the IPL and I am quite impressed. He won the IPL in his first season as leader. The praiseworthy aspect of his captaincy is that he looks relaxed and it seems he gives players freedom. He himself is enjoying it, and the burden of captaincy doesn’t seem to affect him.”
The T20Is in New Zealand was Pandya’s second stint as stand-in captain. He had earlier led the team to a 2-0 win over Ireland.
“Siraj and Arshdeep’s comeback commendable” - Wasim Jaffer reflects on Team India’s tie in Napier
Speaking of the third and final T20I of the series in Napier, Team India came back well to tie the contest via the D/L method. Batting first, New Zealand were cruising at 130/2 in the 16th over. However, they lost eight wickets for 30 runs and were all out for 160.
Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh were the bowling heroes for India, claiming four wickets each. Praising the duo, Jaffer credited them for the tie. He opined:
“Around the 16-over mark, when New Zealand had only lost two wickets, it seemed that they might reach 180-190 or perhaps even 200. The ground in Napier is small. But Siraj and Arshdeep’s comeback is commendable. The way Arshdeep has bowled and the way Siraj bowled in both T20Is are positives for the team."
Done and dusted 🏆🤙 Way to go #TeamIndia 🇮🇳 https://t.co/P2vkdawRJp
While Siraj was named Player of the Match for his career-best figures of 4/17, Arshdeep ended with 4/37 in his four overs.