Stop Doing 'Nakhra', Don't Copy Hardik Pandya: Ex-India Chief Selector Tells Teenagers

It would not be very wrong to say that Hardik Pandya is fast emerging as a youth icon in India. The allrounder is now an indispensable part of Team India across all formats. What makes him even more popular is his personality and fashion sense. Hardik Pandya is one of the most popular cricketers in the country because of what he brings on the cricket field.

However, former India allrounder and national chief selector Sandeep Patil wants teenagers not to follow the allrounder. Sandeep Patil wants the teenagers to aspire to be like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar instead of Hardik Pandya.

“There was no sun cream or something like that during our playing days; the sun has not changed. Today, even Harris and Giles Shield boys bowl, bat and field with cream on their faces. He nakhare please thambwa, Hardik Pandya hou naka [stop these antics, do not become Hardik Pandya],” Sandeep Patil said at the prize distribution ceremony of the under-16 Harris Shield final at Cricket Club of India’s (CCI) Brabourne Stadium as per mid-day.

“If you want to become [good] there are big names like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Our Ajinkya Rahane is there too,” said Patil who represented India in 29 Tests and 45 ODIs.

Comeback on the cards:

Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, is gearing up to return to action after a lengthy injury lay off. The allrounder, who recently got engaged to Natasa Stankovic, has not played a competitive game since the T20I series against South Africa at the start of the home season. He has been out of action since then due to a back injury and had also undergone a surgery for the same in the UK.

He was recently named in India A squad for the tour of New Zealand. Provided he clears the India A test, he will be included in the senior team that will tour New Zealand for five T20 Internationals, three ODIs and two Tests in the last week of January.

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