“I wouldn’t have personally made Hardik Pandya my captain either.I think that’s a smart choice solely for one reason, and that is as an all-rounder. Skills-wise, he is India’s best all-rounder. He is phenomenal. But you want him to be consistently fit,” Styris told News18.
Pandya’s recurrent injuries and the physical demands of bowling are factors contributing to Styris’ assessment.”At the moment, how he’s in and out with his injuries, you know, bowling is really hard. It takes a lot out of you and your body. So sometimes, adding all the responsibility of captaincy is not necessarily a good thing because there’s just too much to do. I’d love to see Hardik Pandya just concentrate on getting those skills right, batting and bowling. And then you can look at captaincy a little bit later,” explained Styris.
Styris also emphasized the significant role Pandya plays as a bowler, especially in light of fitness concerns surrounding key pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Pandya’s presence as a sixth bowler can be invaluable for the team.
“These fast bowling stocks are the one area where India probably needs a little bit more help, which is why I like the selection of these youngsters. Anytime Bumrah is not here, your team is going to be weaker. He’s as good as anyone who’s ever played the game, especially the white ball. So the decision to give him a rest, you totally understand. You’ve got to make sure that he’s fresh and ready for some of the other challenges that India have in front of them,” Styris added.
“You want more out of Hardik Pandya. That’s why I like the decision not to make him captain because I really want to see him stand up with a dominant role with the ball more than anything,” he concluded.
The consensus among experts like Styris appears to be that Hardik Pandya should focus on his all-rounder capabilities and maintaining fitness. This would allow him to contribute effectively without the added burden of captaincy.
