India's first ODI vs Australia will be trial of Hardik Pandya’s captaincy: Sunil Gavaskar

PTI

Mumbai, March 14

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar reckons India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya can stake claim for the leadership role in ODIs too after the World Cup this year, provided his side emerge victorious against Australia in the first ODI here on Friday.

With regular skipper Rohit Sharma set to miss the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium due to family commitments, Pandya has been named the stand-in captain for the contest.

The 29-year-old all-rounder captained Gujarat Titans to the title in their maiden appearance in the Indian Premier League last year.

“I have been very impressed with his captaincy at the T20 level for the Gujarat Titans and for India,” Gavaskar said. “I do believe that if he wins the first game in Mumbai, then you can almost stamp him as the India captain once the World Cup is over in 2023,” he added.

Gavaskar said Pandya’s presence in the middle-order is essential for India. “He can be an impact player as well as a game changer in the middle-order. Even for the Gujarat team, he was promoting himself up the order knowing when the team needed some momentum,” he said. “So, someone who is prepared to take on the responsibility and lead from the front is crucial,” he added.

Gavaskar added that Pandya’s captaincy style also makes him a favourite among the players. “What you see with Pandya as a captain is a sense of comfort with the rest of the team. Maybe, it’s the way he handles the players, puts his arm around the players… He just seems to give the players a sense of comfort,” he said. “That’s so important... to give a player a sense of comfort so that he can go and play his natural game. I think he encourages them, which is a wonderful sign,” he added.

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