After the conclusion of the five-match T20I series between India and South Africa which ended in a 2-2 draw, the Men in Blue is gearing up for Ireland tour for another T20I task under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. The two-match T20I series is scheduled to be played on June 26 and June 28 and India will look to make the most of it in the built up of upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which will be played in Australia later this year, which will also see India locking horns with their arch-rivals Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive conversation with Sports Tak former star India player Mohammad Kaif said that with the stellar return of Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya this year India have a perfect chance to exact 2021 T20 World Cup revenge with Pakistan, where the Men in Blue suffered their first loss at the hands of Pakistan that too with 10 wickets.
Last year in T20 World Cup last year, Pakistan defeated India badly by 10 wickets for the first time. In that match, India could score only 151 runs for seven wickets. In which Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi gave big setbacks to India by sending Rohit Sharma (0) in the first over and KL Rahul (3) in the second over of his spell, that is, in the third over of the innings. Due to which Team India could not recover till the end.
"Look, the amazing duo of Hardik and Karthik will prove to be significantly instrumental in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. I remember those two balls of Shaheen Afridi in the 2021 T20 World Cup last year. When Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were dismissed. After that India had no answer to make a comeback. But now if Rohit Sharma or someone gets out in the beginning then Pandya and Karthik are there to bolster the India batting as they have the ability to turn it around for India."
Hardik led his IPL newbies Gujarat Titans to victory in their debut season and also shone during the just-concluded home series against South Africa.
About Hardik's leadership, Kaif said, “He has ticked most boxes in captaincy. He was spot on when it came to winning the toss and assessing the conditions. Hardik's own form was brilliant. He batted at No.3 and 4 during the powerplay and bowled a few overs as well. If you go back to see the auction, you won't say Gujarat is a strong side on paper. But it's how you perform on the field.”
