In shocking turn of events, India’s star all-rounder has been axed from the role of Vice-captain despite performing exceptionally well. In ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024 India named Hardik Pandya as the vice captain but suddenly selectors decided to go in a different direction.
Hardik Pandya: A Big Asset For India
In the ODI World Cup 2023, Hardik Pandya was of to a great start but ankle injury had ruled him out of the tournament. In T20 World Cup 2024, Hardik Pandya played a very crucial role, he contributed in both batting and bowling. Hardik Pandya stole the show in the final against South Africa with a match-winning performance of 3/20 in the death overs. He broke South Africa’s momentum by getting rid of the in-form Heinrich Klaasen, then followed it up by dismissing David Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the final over to secure the victory and clinch the trophy for India.
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Hardik Pandya Ignored From Vice-Captaincy In Gautam Gambhir Era
Since the time Gautam Gambhir has taken over as India’s head-coach Hardik’s role in captaincy has been completely ignored. After Rohit Sharma decided to retire from the T20Is, Hardik was ideally the next choice for captaincy but Suryakumar Yadav was picked. Even when the squad for Champions Trophy 2025 was announced, Shubman Gill was named as the vice-captain, and it was completely ignored that Hardik was the vice-captain in ODI World Cup 2023. Another shocker came when India’s squad for T20Is against England was announced and Axar Patel was named as the vice-captain. Everyone is left confused because a player who was once considered to be a potential candidate for India’s captaincy is now not even picked to be the vice-captain.
The fact that Hardik Pandya is a great asset for India and certainly irreplaceable makes him a potential candidate for India’s future captaincy.
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Hardik Pandya’s T20I & ODI Record
In T20Is Hardik Pandya has played 109 matches in which he has taken 89 wickets and scored a total of 1700 runs. In ODIs Pandya has played 86 matches in which he has taken 89 wickets and scored a total of 1769 runs.
Despite being overlooked for the vice-captaincy, it’s crucial to remember that Pandya remains one of India’s most important players. His value as a match-winner, especially in high-pressure situations, cannot be overstated. He has the ability to turn games with both bat and ball, and his aggressive style of play makes him a key asset in limited-overs cricket.
