Suryakumar lauds Hardik Pandya's role in India's revamped T20I set-up
What's the story
Indian cricket's T20I team captain Suryakumar Yadav has emphasized the importance of Hardik Pandya in making India adopt a new strategy in T20I cricket.
He made the observation after India thrashed England in the first of a five-game series.
The match, played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, saw India win by seven wickets, thanks largely to their brilliant bowling display and a brilliant 79-run knock from opener Abhishek Sharma.
Here's what the skipper had to say about Pandya and his importance.
Bowling diversity
Pandya's bowling prowess adds variety to India's attack
Yadav credited India's brilliant bowling display to Pandya, saying his inclusion has given the attack a new dimension.
In the game against England, Pandya took two wickets in the form of Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer while giving away 42 runs.
The achievement took him ahead of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in terms of T20I wickets taken by Indians, making him the third-highest T20I wicket-taker for India with 91 wickets.
Strategy shift
Yadav hails Pandya's bravery, credits him for team's evolution
Yadav hailed Pandya's courage for bowling with the new ball with Arshdeep Singh, a move that has enabled India to play a slightly different brand of cricket after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, he observed that with Pandya bowling the new ball, India could play three spinners, thus diversifying their attack in this format.
Additionally, Yadav added that the team wanted to stick to their strengths after the win stating, "We wanted to stick to our strengths."
Team spirit
Yadav commends team's energy, praises Arshdeep Singh
Yadav also praised the team's energy in the first T20I, especially their work in stopping several boundaries in the first innings.
He ended with high praise for Arshdeep, who became India's leading wicket-taker in the T20I format on Wednesday with 97 wickets.
"With experience, Arshdeep's learning a lot," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the second T20I of the series will be played at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on January 25 after a two-day break.