"The world might say anything, it doesn't matter to him" - Irfan Pathan lauds Hardik Pandya's captaincy

Irfan Pathan has lauded Hardik Pandya for keeping the outside talk at bay and just doing his job as India's skipper.

The Men in Blue annihilated New Zealand by 168 runs in the third and final T20I in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1. The win helped them bounce back from a reversal in the first game to clinch the series 2-1.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked about his thoughts on Hardik Pandya's captaincy, to which he replied:

"The most difficult job is to keep things simple in difficult times. All successful captains or cricketers do that only. You get results only if you keep things simple under pressure and that is being seen while he is talking or making changes. The world might say anything, it doesn't matter to him, he is doing his job."

While observing that Hardik might get criticized going forward, the former Indian all-rounder believes his fellow Baroda player won't get flustered, elaborating:

"There will be times when he will be criticized going forward because it is a very young captaincy career. But with the sort of attitude he has and the way I know him, it won't bother him. He will keep backing himself and keep moving forward."

A few cricket experts questioned Hardik's decision to bowl himself with the new ball and play Shubman Gill ahead of Prithvi Shaw. The calls bore fruit in the final T20I, with the Baroda all-rounder picking up a four-wicket haul and the Punjab opener smashing an unbeaten century.

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"It shows where he is at a physical level" - Irfan Pathan says Hardik Pandya is ticking all the boxes

Hardik Pandya missed just one of the 12 games against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. [P/C: BCCI]

Pathan was also asked about Hardik Pandya playing and bowling in almost every game of the twin limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, to which he responded:

"It shows where he is at a physical level because it is not easy to play as an all-rounder, to play two formats, and along with that to captain as well. He is also an amazing fielder."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Hardik flourished despite the immense workload he endured, saying:

"There is a lot of load on him but despite that, he is regularly bowling, batting and managing the team. When you are the captain, you have to round around from cover to mid-off and then talk to the wicketkeeper and the bowler."

Pathan concluded by stating that Hardik is ticking all the boxes. He added that the all-rounder's fitness is great news for India and that his blooming captaincy is an additional positive.