Titans' Pandya lauded as future India captain

NEW DELHI • All-rounder Hardik Pandya, 28, is being tipped as a future India captain after leading an unfancied debut team to victory in the world's most valuable cricket tournament.

The Gujarat Titans thrashed Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League final on Sunday, with skipper Pandya taking three wickets and scoring 34 runs in front of nearly 105,000 fans in the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's biggest stadium.

The extraordinary season began with pundits lashing the side's purchases in the player auction, questioning Pandya's role and predicting a dire outcome for the expansion franchise's first season.

But the player - a flamboyant cricketer who loves his tattoos and expensive watches, and was once suspended for sexist comments on a TV show - has proved a revelation in his first leadership role.

Commentators have lauded his decision-making and field-setting in the Twenty20 format.

After the Titans' triumph at their home ground in Ahmedabad, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said Pandya would be a worthy choice to follow in his footsteps.

"When you have leadership qualities, it automatically opens the door for honours at the national level to be able to captain the Indian national team in the near future," the batting great said.

"The way he has led the team, the way he has got them together, the way he has got them to gel together means he has got leadership qualities. Not just my estimation, but everybody's estimation.

"This was an aspect of his game which nobody had too much information about."

The national side are led in all formats by Rohit Sharma, appointed earlier this year after Virat Kohli's ODI sacking. But, at 35, he is unlikely to be a long-term captain and is being rested for a home series against South Africa next month.

A hard-hitting middle-order batsman and a fast bowler, Pandya has played 11 Tests, 63 one-day internationals and 54 Twenty20 matches for India.

A back injury kept him out after last year's T20 World Cup. But he proved his fitness with 487 runs and eight wickets in 15 IPL matches to earn a recall for the five-match T20 series against South Africa beginning on June 9.

He could be given his first taste of national leadership in two T20s in Ireland next month, according to Indian media reports.

Pandya already envisions a greater role for his country, saying: "Playing for India has always been a dream come true, no matter how many times and how many games I have played. And the kind of love and support I've got, it's only from the Indian team point of view."

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori feels the captaincy will not burden Pandya as all-rounders are used to donning different hats. "He feels comfortable with leadership, with responsibility," he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE