Former Indian Test opener Sadagopan Ramesh has opined that Hardik Pandya is the biggest cog in India’s wheel ahead of the T20 World Cup. Pandya has consistently delivered with both bat and ball in the white-ball formats and he is going to hold the key in the T20I showpiece.

The all-rounder didn’t bowl in the fourth T20I against New Zealand, which India lost by 50 runs. Pandya was dismissed after scoring only two runs off five balls and thus could not make an impact with the bat.

However, Pandya was in fantastic form in the T20I series against South Africa. He scored 142 runs in three innings at an average of 71 and a blistering strike rate of 186.84.

Sadagopan Ramesh said on Star Sports, “Normally, we hear things like ‘Who after Virat’ or ‘There is not another Rohit’. I would add Hardik Pandya to that list because India doesn’t have another Hardik Pandya. He is the biggest cog in the wheel for India in the T20 format. In my book, a true all-rounder is one who can pick up five wickets and score a century, and Hardik Pandya is the only one who has that ability.”

The former flamboyant batter said how Pandya plays in the final five overs will be the defining factor for India in the World Cup.

“We’ve seen what he can do with the ball in the powerplay. And batting, on his day, he’s one of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world. With the T20 World Cup set to be played in India, Hardik Pandya’s finishing will be crucial. We’ve started seeing the Hardik Pandya of old in that role again. How he plays the final five overs will be a defining moment for Team India,” said Ramesh (via the aforementioned source).

The fifth and final T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Thiruvanthapuram on Saturday.