Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes it is the responsibility of Hardik Pandya to handle the exit of the legendary duo, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with respect. Since their T20 World Cup semi-final defeat last year, Rohit and Kohli have not been part of the Indian T20 squad, with Hardik assuming the captaincy.
While the captaincy role is not permanent officially, Rohit is unlikely to return to the T20I side. Following the heart-wrenching loss in the ODI World Cup final against Australia, the Indian team is likely entering a transitional phase.
In an interview with Zee News, Akhtar stressed that Hardik must ensure giving due recognition to Rohit and Kohli before bidding them farewell.
“I’m maybe putting pressure on Hardik Pandya through this but he needs to give that respect to Rohit and Kohli. He is in the team because of them. The kind of favours he has got in the team from them should be repaid. And they are legends of Indian cricket, so they should be given due respect before they are let go,” said Akhtar.
Shoaib Akhtar pointed to examples like how MS Dhoni managed Sachin Tendulkar’s exit and how Virat Kohli handled the situation with Dhoni after he stepped down as captain.
“When Dhoni came, he gave respect to Sachin Tendulkar. Then Virat came and respected Dhoni. When Rohit replaced Virat, he also gave him respect. So, now it’s up to Hardik Pandya how he wants to send these two great players off,” he said.
Shoaib Akhtar also heaped praise on Rohit Sharma. He said it’s unlikely that India would find a better opening batter than Rohit Sharma. He also emphasized that both Rohit and Kohli still have a considerable amount of cricket left in their careers.
“If you ask do Rohit and Kohli have cricket left in them? Yes, definitely. Do you get a better opener than Rohit in the world right now? No, you don’t.”
Hardik Pandya’s injury worries
However, selection committee faces a significant concern as Hardik Pandya, who is prone to injuries despite careful workload management. He sustained an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup and missed the 2nd half including the knockouts. While the incident was unfortunate and could happen to anyone, it has raised concern sregarding officially appointing him as the captain for white-ball teams.
Currently, Suryakumar Yadav is leading the Men In Blue in the ongoing five-match T20I series against Australia. Hardik Pandya’s improbable recovery positions him to continue as captain for the upcoming South Africa T20Is starting December 10.
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