- January 14, 2023
Hardik Pandya was struggling to get back to form when Gujarat Titans picked him up in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But Hardik gave the new team the taste of winning the title. That too by leading from the front as a captain. After that, this all-rounder of Team India gave credit to Ashish Nehra for getting success in the national team as a captain. Hardik praised Nehra in an interview recently.
Hardik got the chance to lead the Indian team for the first time after winning the title for Gujarat. That too in T20. After receiving that responsibility, he did not look back. Bringing India a taste of victories in one series after another as captain. However, Hardik said that Gujarat’s coach Nehra contributed to the success.
In an interview after the recent series win over Sri Lanka, Hardik said, “Winning the title in Gujarat is fine. But the biggest benefit is working with the coach of the team. Nehra has made a big difference in my life. Working with him has changed my mindset. Maybe we are different people, but our cricketing mindset is almost the same.”
About Nehra, Hardik also said, “Being with him (Nehra) made it easier for me to lead. I knew almost everything about leadership. But all I needed was trust. Nehra gave me that. That’s why I didn’t have to think about leadership anymore. Nehra’s Cricket Knowledge is great. He has always helped me tremendously in leading.”
Meanwhile, after failing in one big tournament after another, there are rumours in Indian cricket that the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) may hand over the leadership to Hardik for the next T20 World Cup. At the same time, there is a possibility that several senior cricketers, including Rohit Sharma, will be dropped from the T20 team forever. Hardik is also accepting the challenge of the board correctly. Team India’s future leader may be Hardik.