'If you can fit him in at No. 4, go for it' - Daniel Vettori on Hardik Pandya's batting position in Indian team

Former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori shared his views on Gujarat Titans’ winning captain Hardik Pandya’s spot in the Indian team for the upcoming home series against South African, saying that the all-rounder should bat at the No. 4 position.

Vettori described it as the ideal position for Pandya and advised that the Indian management should give a thought to it. The Men in Blue have tested a wide array of options in that position, including Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer, but have yet to make a firm choice on who should bat in the key middle-order slot.

“If you can fit him in at No. 4, I think, go for it. That’s the perfect position for him. You don’t want to take anything away from the likes of Suryakumar Yadav. But, if this option is there, it will be great. As of now, though, it feels like he’s going to slot into No.5, with Pant potentially dropping down to six,” Vettori told ESPNcricinfo.

Hardik Pandya will be back in blues for the Proteas series

Pandya was impressive in all the roles that he played for GT as be it the captaincy, batting, or bowling, he aced them all and made a brilliant comeback into the game after recovering from the injury that had kept him out of the setup for a long time. Pandya smashed 487 runs in the entire season at a strike rate of 131.26 and also scalped eight wickets.

The Indian team management will be looking to get their composition correct as the T20 World Cup approaches, and the forthcoming home series against South Africa provides them with a chance to begin their hunt. India will play five T20Is against the Proteas beginning June 9, after which they will go to England for a white-ball series and will also conclude the postponed fifth Test from last year.

The Indian Premier League gave opportunities to many new and old faces to make a mark on the platform to find their way into the Indian squad. While the Indian squad witnessed Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh getting their national call-up after their successful stint at the IPL for their respective teams, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya found their way back into the T20I side.