India’s vice-captain for the 2023 Asia Cup is Hardik Pandya. But lately, he’s been struggling with his batting form.
The Asia Cup 2023, which begins on August 30th, will feature a 17-member team picked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer made their comebacks in the team announcement, and young batter Tilak Varma received his first call-up.
Throughout the competition, Rohit Sharma will serve as the team’s captain, with Hardik Pandya serving as his backup. Madan Lal, a former all-rounder for India, acknowledged that Hardik might replace Virat as captain of his country but expressed worries about the Gujarat Titans captain’s performance.
“As you can see, with the way he is handling the leadership in T20Is, he could be the future captain. But that is not the issue I have. Hardik must deliver. Although he has succeeded and is incredibly skilled, where is the Hardik Pandya who scored 92 points against Australia? I want to see Hardik in that kind of shape,” Lal said to the Hindustan Times outside the CEAT Awards.
Lal believes that Hardik’s performance, particularly when he has the ball in his hands, will be crucial for India both during the Asia Cup and the World Cup on home soil.
In addition, I am quite pleased that he is bowling. He must serve as the sixth bowler during the World Cup.
Ratnavali