IND vs NZ: "He Has Got That Flamboyance And That Exuberance, So That Will Reflect On The Players In The Team" - Ravi Shastri Heaps Praise On Hardik Pandya

Team India tour New Zealand between November 18 and 30 for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is and three ODIs. The first match of the three-match T20I series between the Men in Blue and the Black Caps was called off due to rain without a ball being bowled at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Friday, November 18.

The second match of the series will be played on Sunday at Mount Maunganui, while the third and final match will be played on Tuesday at McLean Park in Napier, followed by a three-match ODI series. In the absence of experienced players like KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will captain India in the shorter format, while Shikhar Dhawan will do so in ODIs.

I’m Really Looking Forward To The Way Hardik Pandya Leads – Ravi Shastri

Indian selectors have rested all-format captain Rohit Sharma, and all eyes will be on Hardik Pandya, who has been given the captaincy. Ravi Shastri believes that when a player as impactful as Hardik, as was Kapil Dev leads the team, other players are likely to get inspired and improve their performance.

“He has got that flamboyance and that exuberance. So that will reflect on the players in the team. I remember when Kapil Dev was captain. When you have an impact player and when you have all-rounder, when you have a player who is on the thick of action right through those 20 overs it makes a massive difference. It lifts the spirit of others and inspire others to emulate him. So I’m really looking forward to the way Hardik leads,” Ravi Shastri said.

Through this white-ball tour, both India and New Zealand, the losing semi-finalists from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, are on the road to rebuild for the T20 World Cup 2024 as well as fine-tune their preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Also read: IND vs NZ: “You Have Selected Sanju Samson, But Where Will You Play Him…” – Former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra Questions Team Management