'If they want him...': Kapil Dev cautions selectors of appointing Hardik Pandya as captain

Veteran Indian all rounder Kapil Dev has advised the Indian Cricket Team selectors to back Hardik Pandya as the Indian Captain. Hardik Pandya is seen as the next ODI captain and he is already leading the T20 side. Hardik Pandya is being considered as the leading candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain after the Mumbai batsman decides to take a call on his career. 

Kapil Dev who is one of the legendary all rounders of cricket has come with his say in the ongoing captaincy saga in the Indian Team. According to him he should be backed by the selectors to the core even if he is not giving results. 

'Have to give him a long rope'

"I think one shouldn't look at the world. You look at your team and your way of thinking. If Hardik Pandya is there, they should not say that if you lose one series, we will remove you. If you make someone a captain, you have to give him a fairly long rope to make sure he will start performing. He will make mistakes but the key is that you don't see the error but focus on whether he is ready to take the team and look for the future. You don’t go series-by-series”, Kapil Dev said to Gulf News.

Hardik Pandya is one of the most important players for the Indian Cricket Team and also has performed at many big stages. Hardik Pandya bowls crucial overs for the team in pressure moments. 

Hardik Pandya came to notice playing in the Indian Premier League where he proved to be an impressive all rounder for Mumbai Indians. He also captained Gujarat Titans in the 2022 season and led them to win the title in their debut season. 

Seeing his captaincy skills in IPL, Hardik Pandya was first given the opportunity to lead Team India when they toured Ireland for a short series in June 2022. Team India whitewashed Ireland in that 2 match series. 

He was once again given the Team's captaincy when Team India travelled to New Zealand after the end of the 2022 T20 world cup. He has already captained the team against Sri Lanka this year and will again captain the team against New Zealand next week.