Shastri expects India to go ‘the 2007 route’ for subsequent T20 World Cup with Hardik as captain
Ravi Shastri feels that with the following males’s T20 World Cup simply over a 12 months away, Hardik Pandya can be handed the captaincy of the India crew instantly.
“Everyone can qualify to play, but I think Hardik will lead,” Shastri stated on ESPNcricinfo’s Runorder. “The next two World Cups [after the 2023 ODI World Cup] are T20 cricket. He’s already [standby] captain of India [in T20Is], so he will continue unless he is not fit. I think they [the selectors] will look into a new direction. There’s a lot of talent among the youth at the moment. You might have a pretty much new team; there will be some new faces if not a new team.
“There can be nonetheless loads who performed within the final T20I match that India performed, however there can be some new faces as a result of what we have seen right here on this 12 months’s IPL is a few refreshing younger expertise.”
Rohit Sharma is India’s designated captain across formats, but he hasn’t played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup. KL Rahul was his deputy at the tournament; his last T20I, too, was at the World Cup. In the meantime, India have played eight T20Is, and Hardik has led in all of them with Rohit resting. Of those eight, India have won five, lost two, and tied one.
At the final T20 World Cup, India’s intent with the bat had come below scrutiny, not for the primary time. In the semi-final, they scored 168, which England chased down with ten wickets and 4 overs to spare.
Since then, India have tried many fresh faces, with good results. And Shastri suggested “the 2007 route” for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Then, with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and some others opting out, India had named a relatively inexperienced side for the inaugural T20 World Cup, and India lifted the trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
“I really feel they may go the 2007 route, the place they may determine expertise, and Hardik may have numerous selections with regards to the choice,” Shastri said. “Because his concepts can be totally different; he has performed the IPL as a captain of a franchise and seen quite a lot of the opposite gamers. He may have his inputs.”
When asked if it’s Hardik then who should have a conversation with the senior players about the future, Shastri said, “Obviously. Because he’s the man who’s going to take the fellows out on the park. Whatever he says must be given significance and listened to.”
Until IPL 2022, Hardik had no captaincy experience at the senior level. But he created a stir when he led Gujarat Titans, one of two new teams that season, to the title. This season, too, Titans are all but through to the playoffs with the last few league-stage matches to go.
The only concern with Hardik could be regarding his workload management, given he is expected to play a big role for India at the upcoming ODI World Cup as well and his struggle with injuries is well known. Shastri said it should not be an issue, given he no longer plays long-form cricket.
“It will not be that he’s enjoying three codecs,” Shastri said. “Everything now could be separate. You have Test matches, so the second a Test collection comes, he will get a hall of a month to relaxation and recuperate. He is supremely assured about his personal potential. The truth that he’s absolutely match now makes a large distinction. Form performs an vital function. When he’s match, then he’s arguably among the finest T20 gamers on the planet.”
In November final 12 months as effectively, Shastri had said that “there is no such thing as a hurt in figuring out a brand new T20I captain, and if his identify is Hardik Pandya, so be it”.