The Men in Blue defeated New Zealand comfortably in the third T20I of the series. India also won the series 2-1 following an outstanding effort against New Zealand on Wednesday, February 1. The night’s headliners were Shubman Gill and captain Hardik Pandya, with Gill going on to achieve the highest individual score by an Indian in T20Is with his unbeaten 126*.
Pandya wowed with both his bat and his ball. The Indian captain bowled well, conceding just 16 runs and taking four wickets in four overs. He was also selected Player of the Series for his efforts in the three Twenty20 Internationals.
With each passing day, it is becoming evident that Hardik Pandya is fitting into his job as India’s captain. The Indian captain was both a captain and a player in the team’s victory against New Zealand.
At the post-match news conference, captain Hardik Pandya discussed his growing position in the Indian team. He also equated his goals as captain to those of great former captain MS Dhoni.
“I’ve always liked to hit sixes. Yet it is life; I must develop. I believe in collaboration, and by being present, I want to provide certainty and tranquilly to my batting partner and my team. I’ve played more games than any of these players; I’ve learnt how to take and swallow pressure while still maintaining a sense of serenity” Pandya said after the game.
“Maybe I’ll have to lower my strike rate for that. I constantly look forward to taking on new jobs. I’d want to take on the new ball duty as well since I don’t want anybody else to take on such a challenging task. We’re chasing the game if they’re under pressure. I’d want to take the lead. I’ve been practising my new ball talents “He went on to say.
In the later stages of his career, MS Dhoni’s strategy was to rotate the strike often and let the batsman on the other end to play more aggressively. Pandya believes he needs to take on duties comparable to those of Dhoni and aspires to play a similar role in the future.
“I don’t mind taking on the role that Mahi used to play at some point in the past. I was young at the time and was hitting all over the place. But now that he’s gone, that obligation has shifted to me. It doesn’t bother me. We’re seeing results. It’s OK if I have to play slowly “The captain went on to say more.
