"You should not judge people after every game" - Gautam Gambhir on Hardik Pandya's captaincy

Gautam Gambhir believes Hardik Pandya has done a good job as India's T20I skipper and that he should not be judged after every game.

Hardik suffered his first defeat as the Men in Blue's shortest format skipper in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday, January 5. The hosts allowed the Lankan Lions to set a massive 207-run target after asking them to bat first and eventually lost the match by 16 runs.

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

"He has been good. You should not judge people after every game. Because India has lost the game, doesn't mean that he has done anything wrong. He can't control the bowlers by not bowling no-balls. It's the responsibility of the bowler."

The former Indian skipper highlighted that Hardik has been calm and composed despite having an aggressive approach, elaborating:

"I think so far whatever he has captained the side, he has done really well. He looks really relaxed. He has that aggressive mindset. He backs his players, those small-small signs are very important. He keeps everything pretty relaxed as well."

However, Gambhir added that the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper still has a long way to go and expressed hopes of him becoming a better leader with experience.

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"I am not just liking it, I am loving it" - Irfan Pathan on Hardik Pandya's captaincy

Hardik Pandya has been seen guiding his bowlers regularly. [P/C: BCCI]

Irfan Pathan was also asked whether he likes Hardik as skipper, to which he responded:

"I am not just liking it, I am loving it, the attitude he has had with the entire team, players who have played more and lesser than him. It is enjoyable to see how he manages everyone."

The former Indian all-rounder was particularly appreciative of Hardik's constant involvement during the game, explaining:

"He brings a lot of energy. We talked about his role in the last match as well but apart from that, you should not be stagnant as a captain. You have to keep moving around. If you see Hardik Pandya, he goes and talks to the bowlers and the wicketkeeper, he keeps on running around. His fitness is amazing, which adds on a lot to his captaincy."

Hardik had an unbeaten record in his first six matches as India's T20I skipper. The Men in Blue won five of those games, with the third T20I against New Zealand in November last year ending in a tie via the DLS method.