Hardik Pandya opts for Chris Gayle and NOT Rohit Sharma in his 'gully cricket team'

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was recently asked to pick six players to form his own ‘gully cricket team’. During a chat with Indian commentator and cricket expert Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz, Hardik Pandya favoured West Indies T20 heavyweight Chris Gayle as opener over his own Mumbai Indians captain and teammate Rohit Sharma. Both Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma are known for their attacking brand of cricket at the top of the order.

Moreover, the two are also among the highest six-hitters among all batsmen in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the Indian opening batsman is fourth on the list with 194 hits across the fence, the West Indies T20 behemoth tops the charts with 326 sixes.

Also Read | Rohit Sharma Considers Ex-Mumbai Indians Coach Ricky Ponting 'from Another Planet'

Mumbai Indians Hardik Pandya names his ‘gully cricket team’

Hardik Pandya was asked to pick his opener among a list of five attacking batsmen by Harsha Bhogle. The batsmen listed were: David Warner, Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock. Hardik Pandya picked Chris Gayle over his own Mumbai Indians skipper by saying that he is a big fan of the West Indian batsman. In the show, he also said that he likes the confidence which West Indies cricketers bring onto the field.

Hardik Pandya’s next two picks in his six-player line-up were Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Virat Kohli, who leads Team India in all three formats, also leads Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL. With 5,412 runs across 177 IPL matches, Kohli is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni boasts an impressive captaincy and batting record for Mumbai Indians’ rival Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The veteran wicketkeeper led the CSK to title victories on three occasions (2010, 2011 and 2018).

Also Read | Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle Among Top 10 Batsmen To Smash Most Number Of Sixes In 2010s

Hardik Pandya further showcased his love for West Indies players by picking Andre Russell as his all-rounder over the likes of his national teammate Ravindra Jadeja and England’s 2019 World Cup hero Ben Stokes. He completed the list by picking his brother, Krunal Pandya at number 5 and maverick pacer Jasprit Bumrah at number 6. Interestingly, both Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are long time teammates of Hardik at the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

Hardik Pandya’s six-player ‘gully cricket team’

Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Andre Russell, Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.

Also Read | Mumbai Indians Beat CSK By 1 Run On May 12, 2019 To Clinch Record 4th IPL Title: Watch

Also Read | India Vs West Indies: Powerhouses Rohit Sharma And Chris Gayle Display 'lit' Bonhomie Ahead Of ODI