Hardik Pandya has become like MS Dhoni, should lead India in future: Harbhajan Singh

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Hardik Pandya after his brilliant all-round show against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. Pandya shone with the bat and ball as India defeated their arch-rivals by five wickets to get off to a winning start in the tournament.

Pandya picked up a three-wicket haul to help India bundle out Pakistan for a moderate total of 147 runs before playing a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls to take India home in a thrilling run-chase that went down the wire. While he was aggressive with the ball, Pandya showed great composure with the bat to pull off a successful finish for India.

Heaping praise on the star all-rounder for his match-winning heroics, Harbhajan likened him to the legendary MS Dhoni and backed him to take over as India's captain in the future. Displaying traits of Dhoni in the final over of India's run chase, Hardik was calm under pressure with six runs required off the last three balls.

He nonchalantly slammed a flat six towards the mid-wicket region off the 4th delivery from Mohammad Nawaz to seal a five-wicket win for India. This is not the first time Hardik had earned comparisons with the former India captain as he had been compared to Dhoni after leading Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title earlier this year.

"He should become captain, I think he will become captain. He has shown a different avatar in the recent past. He has become like an MS Dhoni, he is very calm and composed. He is batting very well and he trusts his ability very much," Harbhajan Singh said on SportsTak.

Hardik, who made his comeback in IPL 2022 earlier this year after taking a break due to his back issues, has been unstoppable ever since. While he has been batting more sensibly and taking fewer risks, his bowling has improved drastically.

Lauding him for his hard work and commitment, Harbhajan said there is a different aura to Hardik the batter now as he oozes confidence and believes he can win matches for India.

"When he goes out to bat, there is a different level of swag. He has worked so hard and returned to action that he knows he will be able to do the job and win games for India," Harbhajan said.

"I do see him becoming captain of India. The way he showcased his temperament during the match against Pakistan, and during the IPL as well, was brilliant. I think he has got all the capabilities to be the national team's captain going forward," he added.