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Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has opined that playing under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy has helped Hardik Pandya significantly. Hardik appeared to be the frontrunner for India's T20I captaincy following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format earlier this year.
However, the Indian think tank went in another direction, handing over the leadership position to Suryakumar. Hogg recently suggested that the decision has led to Hardik regaining his form after a tough Indian Premier League (IPL) season this year.
Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Brad Hogg,' he said:
"I love the way he's (Hardik) accepted Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of this Indian team, but it's also helped his game as well. He's really starting to expand with the bat as well, showed his true form. He struggled a little bit through the last IPL, and we all know why, because there was a lot of pressure on him moving from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, but he's just shown his true class here." (13:16)
Hardik Pandya looked in impressive form with the bat in the Men in Blue's recently concluded three-match home T20I series against Bangladesh. He registered scores of 39*, 32, and 47, as the hosts completed a 3-0 whitewash.
"Adds depth to your batting" - Brad Hogg on Hardik Pandya's crucial role in India's T20I team
In the same video, Brad Hogg also spoke about how Hardik Pandya's presence improves the balance of India's T20I team. He reckoned that while the all-rounder can be expensive compared to the frontline bowlers, he adds depth to the batting order.
The cricketer-turned-expert remarked:
"If you're going to be a dominant team in T20Is, you got to have your medium-pace all-rounders, and that's what Hardik brings. Even though he is a little bit more expensive than your conventional bowler, he still adds depth to your batting." (13:42)
Hardik Pandya will next be seen in action during India's four-match away T20I series against South Africa, beginning November 8 in Durban.
