"You become greedy at times" - Mohammad Kaif lauds Hardik Pandya's captaincy

Mohammad Kaif has lauded Hardik Pandya for resisting the temptation to play Prithvi Shaw and sticking with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan as India's openers in the final T20I against New Zealand.

Gill smoked an unbeaten 126 off 63 deliveries as the Men in Blue set a humongous 235-run target for the Black Caps in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1. Hardik and Co. then bowled out the Kiwis for a paltry 66 to complete an emphatic 168-run win in the series decider.

During a post-match discussion on Star Sports, Kaif was asked about his thoughts on Hardik Pandya's captaincy, to which he replied:

"The captain has a huge role in deciding the XI you are going to play. You become greedy at times, when players are sitting in the squad, that your openers are not firing and it is a big decider, so (Prithvi) Shaw can probably do that job."

The former Indian batter praised Hardik for not being trigger-happy, explaining:

"There were many moments when he took the right decision. He played the same team today as well. It was a different thing that Ishan Kishan got out but the decision was correct. He backed (Shubman) Gill and said at the toss that he will bat."

Kaif pointed out that the game was all but over when India posted a mammoth total after opting to bat first, saying:

"Everyone was saying that you can chase here, dew also came later, but he knew that they can win by batting first on this pitch. And the way you batted, you scored 230-odd runs, the match was over there itself. This is Hardik Pandya's strength."

Gill, who aggregated just 18 runs in his first two innings of the series, repaid the faith shown in him by playing a match-defining knock. The Gujarat Titans opener strung together a 103-run fourth-wicket partnership in less than seven overs with his franchise skipper.

---

"He sits in the meeting and plans where to bowl to which batter and executes that as well" - Mohammad Kaif on Hardik Pandya's bowling

Hardik Pandya picked up four wickets in the third T20I against New Zealand. [P/C: BCCI]

Kaif also praised Hardik for executing his bowling plans to perfection, elaborating:

"In bowling, he is coming with the new ball. He bowled three inswingers to Finn Allen and when he saw that he was surviving, he bowled a wider line and got it to swing. He sits in the meeting and plans where to bowl to which batter and executes that as well."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by saying that the Indian skipper deserves immense credit for his captaincy, observing:

"A lot of bowlers come with a copy and pen to the meetings and make big plans but are unable to bowl on the spot under pressure. The decisions he is taking are fantastic and I will say that whatever he has done as a captain is praiseworthy."

Hardik returned with figures of 4/16 in four overs. Apart from Finn Allen, he accounted for Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner's dismissals to register his best figures in T20I cricket.