“As captain, if you show a lot of emotions on the field, players will get fearful” – Saba Karim on Hardik Pandya

Saba Karim showered praise on India captain Hardik Pandya following his team's win in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Tuesday (January 3). But while the former India selector stated that he wants Pandya to continue his good attitude on the field, he also claimed the all-rounder should keep his emotions in check to get the best out of the players.

Karim's statement came as Pandya apparently lost his cool with Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel in the penultimate over. While Chahal made a fielding blunder at short fine, Harshal proved too costly, leaking 16 runs.

Speaking on India News, Karim said:

“I think he needs to focus on his attitude. Everyone likes him as a player because of his attitude. As a captain, if you show a lot of emotions on the field, players will get fearful. I don’t think that’s the right thing for a team to grow. You have to trust your players.”

Pandya led from the front though, scoring a brisk 29 and bowling three economical overs while conceding just 12 runs.

---

“I liked two things about captain Hardik Pandya” – Saba Karim

Saba Karim praised all-rounder Hardik Pandya for his call during the toss. He also credited him for bowling debutant Shivam Mavi in the powerplay overs. The former India player said:

“I liked two things about captain Hardik Pandya. He said that he wanted to bat regardless of the toss. It means he knows the challenges ahead; bilateral matches are aside, but you have to learn something in every match and put your team in a tough situation.”

Karim added:

“The second thing is that debutant Shivam Mavi bowled in the powerplay. It means that, as a captain, he wants to lead by example.”

Mavi finished with figures of 22-4 against Sri Lanka, including two crucial wickets in the powerplay, which helped India win the game by two runs.

Hardik Pandya and Co. will next be seen in action in the second T20I at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Thursday, January 5. A victory would help the Men in Blue take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.