Former South African skipper AB de Villiers said Hardik Pandya will be a big pivotal player for India in the T20 World Cup. AB said the all-rounder could win matches for India in the T20I showpiece. Pandya recently scored 142 runs in three T20 innings against South Africa at an average of 71 and a blistering strike rate of 186.84.
The all-rounder has been rested for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand to manage his workload after BCCI’s Centre of Excellence deemed him unfit to bowl his quota of 10 overs.
Pandya has the skills to hit the ground running and he is going to play a crucial role in adding the finishing touches for India.
“There are a lot of players offering skill with both bat and ball so you can really play around with the balance. I noted no Pant here, no Gill, no Jaiswal, no Jitesh, so those are the unlucky guys who missed out. Hardik will be the big pivotal player. He’s the guy who can win you games. When he walks out to bat, there’s a sense in the opposition like we need to get him out. Same with the ball in hand, the minute he comes on, you feel like he has a golden arm, so a great asset,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Pandya has been in sensational form as he recently smashed a blistering knock of 92-ball 133 for Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
AB also opened up on Ishan Kishan’s selection in India’s T20 World Cup squad. Kishan scored 517 runs in 10 matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand.
“Interesting that Ishan Kishan comes in as a wicketkeeping option. Will he play? where will he bat? Looking at the top three, there’s a bit of a headache there for them. Will Abhishek and Samson open or will Ishan fill that spot at the top? It’s that kind of squad, a mouthful, all of them are incredibly talented. Don’t know exactly where they are going to fit in,” he said.
India will next take on New Zealand in a three-match ODI series.
