Hardik Pandya is India's backbone, says Mohammed Kaif

Mohammed Kaif all praise for Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Taking up Gujarat Titans captaincy successfully in Indian Premier League has brought a lot of changes to Hardik Pandya’s cricket career. Pandya has led his IPL franchise to the finals twice and ended up winning one in 2022. Since then, he has become a key figure in Indian white-ball cricket. Pandya has seen himself get elevated as vice-captain of the team and is expected to succeed current Indian captain Rohit Sharma. He has established himself as the match-winning all-rounder in the current Indian team. Looking at his current form, former Indian batsman Mohammed Kaif has heaped praise on Pandya.

India’s Natwest Trophy-winning hero Mohammed Kaif said that Hardik Pandya has now become the match-winner for India. Kaif said, "When India was in trouble against Pakistan, Hardik rose to the occasion and scored 87 runs and built a vital partnership with Ishan Kishan. In the second meeting against Pakistan, he got the prized wicket of Babar. So, he is a match-winner." Hardik Pandya added a 138-runs partnership for the 5th wicket along with Ishan Kishan in the league game against Pakistan, where India lost their first 4 wickets in just 66 runs.

Mohammed Kaif calls Hardik Pandya as the 'backbone'

In recent games, Hardik has bailed out India on many occasions and taken them out of crisis situations. Mohammed Kaif has called him the backbone of the team. Kaif said, "When the team is in trouble, Hardik bails his side out of the situation. When the top order collapses, Hardik steps up and plays a match-winning knock. In my eyes, Hardik Pandya is the backbone of the Indian team." Hardik has also contributed with the ball to India’s win in Asia Cup 2023 and picked up three wickets in the tournament.

Mohammed Kaif has also praised Shubman Gill for his excellent comeback after the opening game. He said, "When you play a multi-national tournament, it is not easy to get the runs. But Shubman Gill was there and played the shots well. He understands how to get maximums or boundaries in a spin-friendly track. He is turning out to be a terrific player." Shubman Gill smashed a fighting century against Bangladesh in the last super over of the game. He is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 275 runs in five innings.