'He is one of the most sought-after match-winners'- Kane Williamson backs Hardik Pandya to lead India permanently in T20Is

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has called Hardik Pandya ‘one of the most sought-after match-winners’ as he gets ready to lead India in the upcoming three-match T20I series starting Friday, November 18.

Meanwhile, Williamson has also said that Hardik does have the required credentials to lead India in the shortest format as the Men in Blue start afresh after their semifinal exit from the recently-concluded T20 World Cup in Australia.

Hardik obviously is a superstar of the game: Kane Williamson

“Hardik obviously is a superstar of the game. I played against him on a number of occasions. He is one of the most sought-after match-winners. And the fact that he is an all-rounder, his bowling going really well and can hit the ball like he does. He is a special cricketer. As for his leadership skill goes, I haven't played with him so I exactly don't know, but he has had a lot of success in IPL”, said Williamson during a media interaction ahead of the T20I series.

“And with the leadership within India, they have got a number of great and experienced players. So their leadership and guidance of that under Rohit Sharma and the likes of Virat Kohli will be very helpful,” he added.

Hardik Pandya will be captaining the Indian team as key players including the likes of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, batting megastar Virat Kohli have been rested for this tour. Many experts have also backed Hardik to be the frontrunner to lead India in T20I cricket and lead the Men in Blue in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to be played in the Caribbean and the USA.

Apart from captaincy, the 29-year-old will also be looking forward to proving a point with his wicket-taking abilities and power-hitting techniques in the middle order during the upcoming series. Hardik Pandya was one of India's savior with the bat in the T20 World Cup semis against England last week. His blistering 33-ball 63 powered India to a respectable total of 168/6.