Follow UsSanjay Bangar praised Hardik Pandya and his finishing skills immensely during Star Sports ‘Deep Point’ show, where he said that the allrounder from Baroda has it in him to replicate the former Indian skipper’s success as a finisher in the 50-over format.
“In 50-over matches, Pandya has come the closest to replicating MS Dhoni’s role as a finisher,” Bangar said.
“Dhoni used to take games deep, and his influence is most visible on Pandya. We’ve seen him take games to the 49th or 50th over and secure wins. At the same time, he’s capable of rebuilding an innings if the team is struggling at 30-4. His ability to adapt to various situations is amazing.”
In the same show, Sanjay Manjrekar felt that under the current BCCI management, Pandya would strengthen his case for white-ball leadership if he played first-class cricket for Baroda.
Notably, former secretary Jay Shah had written to India and India A players and said that domestic performances and appearances will be seriously considered for India selections. Coach Gautam Gambhir had also asked the Indian players to play domestic cricket mandatorily after the Sydney Test in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
“The dynamics of Indian cricket can change with new management in the BCCI or the selection committee. Everyone has a unique approach. For Pandya, the key will be to show his willingness to play consistently. He hardly plays first-class cricket, but if he starts doing so, it will strengthen his case,” Manjrekar said.
“Pandya has always been good at ICC tournaments. Not many people remember that during the 2019 World Cup, Hardik was India’s go-to bowler on those pitches,” Manjrekar added.
Pandya led India in 16 T20Is before the new selection committee under Ajit Agarkar and newly appointed coach Gambhir gave the responsibility to Suryakumar Yadav to lead India in the shortest format.