"He should be made the captain in both white-ball formats" - Maninder Singh on Hardik Pandya

Maninder Singh wants Hardik Pandya to be appointed India's captain in both limited-overs formats.

Reports suggest Hardik will likely replace Rohit Sharma as the Men in Blue's T20I skipper. However, Rohit is favored to continue captaining the Indian ODI side, at least until the World Cup next year.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Maninder opined that Hardik should be given the reins of both of India's white-ball sides, reasoning:

"I feel he (Hardik) should be made the captain in both white-ball formats because we have seen a different transformation in him since he won the IPL title for the Gujarat Titans. Actually, the transformation was visible right from the first match when he came to play in the IPL."

The former Indian spinner feels the all-rounder realized his potential once the Gujarat Titans (GT) envisaged him as their skipper, observing:

"Probably Hardik Pandya knows how much talent he has but he was wasting it. But when he was made the captain, he probably realized that he can do something as his franchise thought about making him the captain."

Hardik surprised most cricket experts with his calm and collected approach while captaining the Titans in IPL 2022. The presence of the equally cool Ashish Nehra as head coach probably helped his cause.

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"Hardik Pandya can be a very important cog for the Indian team in white-ball cricket" - Maninder Singh

Hardik Pandya's fitness will be put to the test in ODI cricket.

Maninder feels Hardik will be a vital component of India's ODI side if he can bowl a decent number of overs, elaborating:

"Then the transformation he showed in T20 cricket, I feel in ODI cricket if he can bowl you 10 overs, even seven-eight overs if not 10, Hardik Pandya can be a very important cog for the Indian team in white-ball cricket the way he is batting."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by asking the team management to ensure that the seam-bowling all-rounder's back injury does not recur, saying:

"You should regularly keep talking to him, that he should keep his fitness levels so high, that the back injury he suffered does not come back again and he can serve the Indian team because you need such players who are entertainers. When you give him the ball or when he goes out to bat, it is evident from his body language that he is going to do something."

Hardik has won four of the five T20Is he has captained Team India, with the other game ending in a tie. The Baroda all-rounder is yet to skipper the national side in ODI cricket and is unlikely to be given the reins at the moment.