Shivam Mavi praises 'calm and bold captain' Hardik Pandya after getting a maiden call-up for Sri Lanka T20Is

Shivam Mavi is enjoying a great end to the year 2022 as he got picked up by Gujarat Titans for INR 6 crore in the IPL 2023 auction on December 23 and four days later received a maiden call-up from the Indian team for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka. Mavi expressed his thoughts on getting selected for the national team and also talked about a chance to play under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.

Hardik has been named captain for the T20Is against Sri Lanka with regular skipper Rohit Sharma is given rest to recover from his minor thumb injury. Hardik also captains IPL champions Gujarat Titans and has been tipped to be India's next captain after Rohit. Mavi praised Hardik's captaincy skills by terming the all-rounder as a shrewd and master tactician during his latest interview with PTI on Thursday.

"Hardik Pandya supports every player. He is a great leader. It is very difficult to be the IPL champion in the first outing but he managed to do it. He led Gujarat Titans from the front and became champions. He is a calm leader but took some bold decisions. As a captain, Hardik bhai is very shrewd and a master tactician. He knows exactly whom to bowl when and whom to promote in the batting order," Mavi said as quoted by MyKhel.

I am just hoping to get a game, says Shivam Mavi

Mavi also hinted that he might not get a chance to make a debut in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka with pacers Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, and Mukesh Kumar also in the fold but added that he is hopeful for any opportunity, "I know it is not going to be easy for me but I am just hoping to get a game, perform there and be a regular for India." 

Mavi, a 24-year-old right-arm pacer, endured a poor IPL 2022 season with Kolkata Knight Riders with just five wickets from six innings and was released ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. But the young pacer has been in excellent form in domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh with 10 wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 and 14 wickets from seven Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.