'He has been an impressive captain' - Sunil Gavaskar names future India skipper, lays down conditions too

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has named Hardik Pandya as the next India skipper in the ODI format. The latter has been leading the T20I side with Rohit Sharma deciding to take a break from the format for the year alongside Virat Kohli. On the other hand, it is believed that Sharma might retire from the game after the 2023 ODI World Cup this year.

Although there is no confirmation, the India skipper is will be 36 and it is highly likely that he might hang his boots. Meanwhile, Gavaskar has explained the reasons for Pandya becoming the captain. The 1983 World Cup winner opined that there is a sense of comfort among the players in the team around Pandya.

“What you see with Hardik Pandya as a captain is a sense of comfort with the rest of the team. Maybe, it's the way he handles the players, puts his arm around the players… He just seems to give the players a sense of comfort. That’s so important to give a player a sense of comfort so that he can go and play his natural game. I think he encourages them, which is a wonderful sign," said Gavaskar during an interaction on Star Sports show Game Plan.

Hardik Pandya has been an impressive captain in T20 cricket: Sunil Gavaskar

The former India opening batter added that Pandya has been impressive as captain in T20 cricket. Gavaskar cited the example of the Indian T20 League 2022 and his recent stint with the Men In Blue. Not to forget, the all-rounder will lead India in the first ODI against Australia on March 17 as Rohit Sharma will be unavailable due to personal reasons.

"He has been an impressive captain. I have been very impressed with his captaincy at the T20 level for Gujarat and India when he is captaining the T20 side. I do believe that if he wins the first game in Mumbai, then you can almost stamp him as the India captain once the World Cup is over in 2023.”