IND vs SL: Three reasons why Hardik Pandya should lead the side

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and top-order batter Shikhar Dhawan have emerged as serious captaincy contenders for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July.

The Asian giants are scheduled to play three ODIs and T20Is each against the Islanders. It is likely to be India's last international T20I assignment before the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place later this year.

The Men in Blue are all set to play under a new skipper as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be busy playing the Test series against England starting August 4. Shikhar Dhawan, who has 142 ODIs and 65 T20Is under his belt, will be one of the frontrunners for the role when the selectors sit down to pick the squad.

Indian men's ODI batsmen with the highest strike-rate (min. 20 innings)1. Hardik Pandya (117.31)2. Yusuf Pathan (113.60)3. Virender Sehwag (104.44)4. Kedar Jadhav (101.60)Can you guess the next best? pic.twitter.com/CPJFF7dmhD

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) May 23, 2021

However, dynamic all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has grown leaps and bounds in recent times, could give Dhawan a run for the money. On that note, we take a look at three reasons why Hardik Pandya would be the right man to lead the team.

3. Brings experience to the side

Since making his debut in 2016, Hardik Pandya has represented India in 48 T20Is and 60 ODIs. He brings a lot of experience to the table, and his dynamic character, both on and off the field, will aid his captaincy.

Moreover, being a part of the Mumbai Indians side in the IPL, Hardik has closely followed how Rohit Sharma has gone about his business. Hardik Pandya has been an important part of the leadership group alongside Rohit and Kieron Pollard over the last few seasons.

The Baroda all-rounder would have gained a lot of experience playing alongside the likes of Rohit, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, and that will come in handy if he is appointed India skipper for the Sri Lanka series.

---

2. An eye on the future

The upcoming Sri Lanka series will be the perfect stage to groom young cricketers. Under Rahul Dravid's tutelage as head coach, we have already seen what the youngsters are capable of doing.

Thus, it would be a good opportunity for Hardik Pandya to get a taste of leadership, so that the BCCI can gauge if he can be considered captaincy material for the future.

According to PTI - If Shreyas Iyer is not fit for the Sri Lanka tour, the captain will be either Shikhar Dhawan or Hardik Pandya for the Indian team.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 11, 2021

Over the years, the dynamic all-rounder has gone on to become one of the mainstays in the Indian line-up. On last year's Australian tour, Hardik proved that he can also be a match-winner with the bat.

While it might sound a bit unfair to Shikhar Dhawan, who has done exceedingly well with the bat, Hardik Pandya emerges as a better captaincy candidate, keeping an eye on the future.

---

1. Captaincy will do his game a world of good

The 27-year-old all-rounder has copped a lot of criticism from various sections for not bowling ever since he returned to action post his lower-back surgery in the IPL last year. His place in the side, purely as a batter, has also been questioned.

He was recently left out of the World Test Championship final squad considering he has had not been bowling as much. But it is very difficult to understand what the unpathetic media coverage has done to his confidence.

Through his appointment as captain, the management can reassure Hardik Pandya that he is still an important part of the set up. It will also settle his nerves and do his game a world of good ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup.

---

How much do you enjoy Sportskeeda's cricket coverage? Please spend 30 seconds answering this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your cricket needs.