Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth said on Monday that if he was the Chairman of the Selection Committee, he would appoint Hardik Pandya as India’s captain for the next T20 World Cup in 2024 and start the preparations for that tournament right from India’s tour to New Zealand, which will kick off on 18 November.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Match Point’, former chairman of the selection committee Srikkanth spoke on the road for India ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024. “See if I was the Chairman of the selection committee, I would say that Hardik Pandya should be the captain of the 2024 World Cup straight away, I would put it that way – number one. And start rebuilding a side right from today, that is from the New Zealand series which is going to happen in a week’s time. You start from today, the preparation for the World cup, you need to understand, starts two years in advance.”
“So, you do whatever you want to do, the trial and error policy, do whatever you want, try it for one year, then you form a team and by 2023 make sure this is going to be at the level that is going to play the World Cup. And as both Bish (Ian Bishop) and Irfan pointed out, you need more fast-ball all-rounders. Let’s see, the 1983 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, and 2007 T20 World Cup, why did we win? We had many fast-ball all-rounders and semi all-rounders. So, to identify these guys – guys like Hooda (Deepak), there are going to be so many more Hoodas.”
Pandya led Gujarat Titans from the front in IPL 2022, scoring 487 runs in 15 games at an average of 44.27 and four half-centuries. Pandya also took eight wickets throughout the tournament.
In Blue colours, Pandya had his first experience as the vice-captain during the home series against South Africa that took place in June. The series had ended in a 2-2 draw after the final T20I was washed out.
He was then named as the captain of the Indian team that went to Ireland to play two T20Is. India won that series 2-0. After this, Pandya was named as the vice-captain of India’s T20I series against West Indies, which India won 4-1.
Pandya will lead the Indian squad in T20Is against New Zealand with Rishabh Pant being his deputy. The tour to New Zealand will start on November 18. It will have three T20Is and three ODIs.
