"Has ticked every box that a captain needs to" - Dinesh Karthik on Hardik Pandya's stint as Indian captain

Veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes that Hardik Pandya has done an exceptional job as the captain of India's T20I team so far.

Karthik noted that the talismanic all-rounder has silenced his doubters by producing positive results while at the helm of the Indian team. He, however, emphasized that it is still too early to judge Pandya's captaincy.

The Tamil Nadu skipper opined that a proper assessment of Pandya's stint can only be made once he has led the side for at least two years. Karthik made these remarks while speaking on Cricbuzz after India's six-wicket win in the second T20I of their series against New Zealand on Sunday, January 29.

He explained:

"He has done a pretty good job in the limited time that he has been a captain. I will always judge the captaincy after a couple of years because the golden period is when you start, as you have a lot of things going for you. You've got to wait a couple of years before you judge him as a captain.

"But for far, he has ticked every box that a captain needs to have while leading Team India. He has, in many ways, surprised a lot of people who thought that he wouldn't be able to do this."

Notably, India claimed a crucial win in what was a must-win encounter for them in Lucknow to level the three-match series at 1-1. Pandya has received widespread praise for his captaincy in the shortest format.

Hardik Pandya has won eight out of 11 matches as the skipper of the national side. He faced just two defeats, while one contest ended in a draw.

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"Would be very unfair to Shubman Gill if he is replaced by Prithvi Shaw" - Dinesh Karthik on India's playing XI for 3rd T20I vs New Zealand

Dinesh Karthik further stated that opening batter Shubman Gill should not be dropped from the side on the basis of his underwhelming performance in the second T20I.

He pointed out that the wicket in Lucknow was a very challenging one, and hence, it would be unfair for Gill if he was dropped after the game. Karthik suggested that Prithvi Shaw will have to have a wonderful Indian Premier League (IPL) to find a spot in the Men in Blue playing XI.

Karthik added:

"It would be very unfair to Shubman Gill if he is replaced by Prithvi Shaw. For Shaw, the most important series is the IPL. That's when fortunes change. If he has a good year with the Delhi Capitals, everything will look very different from thereon."

Gill has scores of 7 and 11 to his name in the ongoing T20I series. He was in superb form during the ODI series against the Kiwis, amassing 360 runs in three games with a highest score of 208.

The talented youngster will look to bounce back in the crucial series decider against New Zealand. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1.