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India's Hardik Pandya reacts as he leaves the ground after losing his wicket during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Sri Lanka. (AP photo)
Former India player Sanjay Bangar said that star allrounder Hardik Pandya is capable of commanding a spot in India’s playing XI vs South Africa as a specialist batter or a bowler. Banglar also said that there was no one other player like Hardik Pandya. Pandya who is making a return to the Indian team after sitting out for two months due to quadricep injury during the Asia Cup, is expected to slot into the playing XI vs South Africa in the upcoming T20I series.
“Look at all the all-rounders in world cricket now. Does England have a back-up for Ben Stokes? No. In one-day or even Test cricket, there is no back-up for Ravindra Jadeja. It is the same with Hardik Pandya. He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler,” JioStar expert Bangar said.
“The point is, to be that kind of all-rounder, you must earn your place with your batting and also with your bowling. There is no other player like Hardik Pandya in the Indian team,” he added.
Talking about Pandya’s workload management, Bangar said that he expects Hardik to play the first 3 matches out of the 5 T20Is against the Proteas.
“We need to see how he copes. Playing in the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) is different from the intensity of an international game. The team management must manage the workload of important players like him. So, if needed, we must do that for Hardik too. A fit Hardik Pandya allows the team to play its desired combination, especially with the spin options we have. That’s why his presence is critically very vital,” he said.
India will kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 preparation in earnest with the South africa T20I series with the first match scheduled at Cuttack on Tuesday.
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