IND vs NZ: “He Is A Special Cricketer” – Kane Williamson Hails Hardik Pandya Ahead Of India vs New Zealand White-ball Series

New Zealand National Cricket Team captain Kane Williamson has lavished praise on the star India National Cricket Team all-rounder Hardik Pandya, saying that the 29-year-old is a “special cricketer”.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, Pandya has been appointed as the captain of Team India for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Williamson-led New Zealand National Cricket Team and Rishabh Pant will be serving as his deputy.

ICC Teams Rankings | ICC Players Rankings

Speaking at a select media interaction organised by Prime Video ahead of the India tour of New Zealand 2022, the Black Caps captain applauded Hardik and said that he is a “superstar of the game.”

“Hardik obviously is a superstar of the game. I played against him on a number of occasions. He is one of the most sought-after match-winners. And the fact that he is an all-rounder, his bowling going really well and can hit the ball like he does. He is a special cricketer.”

The India tour of New Zealand 2022 consists of a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20I series. The T20Is will be played on November 18, 20, and 22. The ODIs will be played on November 25, 27, and 30.

As for his leadership skill goes, I haven’t played with him so I exactly don’t know, but he has had a lot of success in IPL – Kane Williamson

The Kiwi captain Kane Williamson further spoke about Hardik as a leader and the prospect of him captaining the Indian team in the near future. He said:

“As for his leadership skill goes, I haven’t played with him so I exactly don’t know, but he has had a lot of success in IPL. And with the leadership within India, they have got a number of great and experienced players. So their leadership and guidance of that under Rohit Sharma and the likes of Virat Kohli will be very helpful.”

Many cricket pundits have suggested the name of Pandya for the captaincy of the Indian team in white-ball cricket after Rohit Sharma’s exit. Notably, Hardik Pandya impressed everyone with his leadership skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, where he led newcomers Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title victory in his debut season as skipper.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: “Super Exciting Talent” – Kane Williamson On Umran Malik Ahead Of India vs New Zealand White-ball Series