Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri heaped praise on Hardik Pandya and said that he is looking forward to seeing how the star all-rounder captains Men in Blue in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Notably, the first T20I was abandoned due to rain without a single bowl being bowled in Wellington on Friday (November 18).

Ahead of the first T20I match, India’s stand-in coach VVS Laxman hailed Pandya’s leadership quality and his persona, and now Shastri lavished praise on the stand-in captain by comparing his personality with that of the legendary cricketer Kapil Dev.

Ever since Pandya led Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 title, the all-rounder has just become everyone’s favorite in terms of captaincy, and even he was given the opportunity on the Ireland tour.

Read Also: NZ v IND 2022: WATCH- “Hardik, what do you reckon?”- Williamson’s funny remark on series being 3rd place T20 WC playoffPandya impressed everyone with his leadership skills, and Shastri cited 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev's example and said that Hardik is such a personality that every player in the team wants to emulate him.

Ravi Shastri told broadcasters Prime Video: “He has got that flamboyance and that exuberance. So that will reflect on the players in the team. I remember when Kapil Dev was captain.”

He further said that on the New Zealand tour, Pandya's flamboyance and exuberance will reflect on the players as well, which he can’t wait to see.

He added, “When you have an impact player and when you have all-rounder, when you have a player who is on the thick of action right through those 20 overs, it makes a massive difference. It lifts the spirit of others; they want to emulate him. So, I'm really looking forward to the way Hardik leads.”