Ever since India’s ouster from the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, the team has been led by two different captains in the white-ball formats. Hardik Pandya has led the Men in Blue in T20Is whereas Rohit Sharma continues to lead the side in the 50-over format.
In fact, Rohit and Virat Kohli are yet to play a T20I since the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. Moreover, the selectors have not provided any clarification on their future in the shortest format.
Meanwhile, Hardik’s captaincy has come under the scanner following India’s back-to-back defeats at the hands of a seventh-ranked West Indies side in the ongoing five-match T20I series. He is on the verge of becoming the first Indian captain to lose a bilateral series to West Indies in 17 years.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel explained why Hardik's run as Indian captain isn't as impressive as his two seasons with Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
According to Parthiv, the support Pandya is getting from India coach Rahul Dravid is a complete contrast to GT coach Ashish Nehra. He also questioned Dravid's credentials as a T20 coach.
"There have been a couple of instances about Hardik Pandya's captaincy which have been glaring mistakes. The first was giving that over to Akshar Patel in the first game when Nicholas Pooran had come out to bat. And today, this one. Hardik Pandya the captain has been brilliant with GT but at Gujarat Titans he had that support of Ashish Nehra. But is Rahul Dravid that proactive coach or person which we are looking for in the T20 format. I don't think so. In my mind, we need someone who is proactive. Hardik Pandya has that spark but he needs that support, which to me Rahul Dravid doesn't provide," Parthiv Patel said.
Hardik’s decision to not finish wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s quota of four overs in the second T20I against West Indies was criticized by the cricket experts, and Parthiv also found it baffling.
Chahal returned with the figures of 2 for 19 in his three overs as West Indies overhauled India’s target of 153 with two wickets in hand and seven deliveries to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the T20I series.
"See, a T20 format is usually something which changes around in one moment of the game. One decision here and there, which in this case was Hardik Pandya not giving that over to Chahal. He did not finish his quota of 4 overs, so to me that was something which changed the game in the favour of West Indies," Patel added.
