T20 World Cup 2024: Hardik Pandya, likely to be T20I skipper, reveals strategy for T20 WC 2024

Minutes after Team India crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2022, courtesy to England batters, Hardik Pandya’s name popped up as the right guy to lead the squad in T20 World Cup 2024. Battered by England’s thrashing, disheartened Indian cricket experts started suggesting what to be done for the next edition with a heavy heart and frustrating optimism.

Meanwhile, a fresh crop of Indian cricketers was already on their way for the next big assignment as Hardik Pandya, probable future T20I captain, was the stand-in leader of the side. The prolific allrounder performed, leading up to the reputation, as they had already pocketed the three-match T20I series.

However, the talk and the opinions keep on making headlines in the Indian cricket paradigm – but the likely-to-be full-fledged Indian skipper in the shortest format has finally spill the beans.

After registering a 65-run win in the second T20 international against New Zealand, captain Hardik Pandya broke the ice and revealed what he wants from his squad as a skipper.

“It doesn’t mean taking a wicket every ball, but being aggressive with the ball is important. The conditions were very wet, so credit to the bowlers. I have bowled a lot, and going forward; I want to see more bowling options. Not always that this will work, but I want more batters to chip in with the ball,” Hardik said.

Deepak Hooda was the one in the squad who impressed in the second T20I against New Zealand, as he bagged four wickets. Even during the T20 World Cup 2022, Team India missed the services of Ravindra Jadeja, one of the few prolific all-rounders in Indian cricket. Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Rajat Patidar, to name a few young allrounders.

However, Hardik Pandya is not the only cricketer who wishes to have batters with some bowling capabilities. Legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble believes the Indian team requires big hitters with a decent ability to bowl a few overs.

“I see something which needs to be done in the Indian cricket team is how we keep talking about more and more batters. But I think in the T20 format, we need batters too who can bowl few overs to balance the team,” Mr. Kumble said.

The former Indian spinner also claimed that the selection for India-A too lack batters who are decent bowlers, and that’s where changes need to start. “Unfortunately, that’s how things are right now. But, we must address what brand of cricket we need to nurture in Indian cricket,” Kumble adds.