Hardik Pandya reflected on his journey from taking a lengthy break from all formats of cricket to becoming the captain of the Indian cricket team. The star all-rounder was a part of the Indian squad that played in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, but he could not impress much. He then asked the selectors for a lengthy break, which the selectors allowed.
Pandya made his return to the field in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League as the captain of the brand new Gujarat Titans team. Not many fans had high hopes from the Ahmedabad-based franchise, but Hardik and his men surprised everyone by becoming the IPL 2022 champions.
The selectors named him as the vice-captain to Rishabh Pant for the ongoing five-match T20I series against the South African cricket team. Next week in Ireland, Hardik Pandya will make his debut as the captain of the Indian cricket team in the two-match series against the home team. Here’s what he said about his journey in a chat with Star Sports:
“Obviously, I kind of knew before the start of this series that I will be leading the side after this series. Kinda knew it, but it is always an honour to lead your country. Who would have thought seven months back? Life can change a lot if you put the right mind and you keep working hard.”
Hardik Pandya is likely to win his first two T20Is as the captain of the Indian cricket team
The Ireland cricket team failed to make it past the qualifying stage of the ICC T20 World Cup last year, so it should not be a surprise if they are bulldozed by the Men in Blue on June 26 and 28. The Irish team will be keen to give India a run for their money.
But looking at the form of the players in IPL 2022, the ones who have been picked in the Indian squad for that series, it is highly unlikely that India would lose any of the two T20Is.
