3 reasons why Hardik Pandya should bat at No. 4 for India going forward in T20Is

Hardik Pandya is set to lead India in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand beginning on Friday, November 18, at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. The all-rounder has been handed the reins for the series, with several seniors including skipper Rohit Sharma rested after the T20 World Cup.

Hardik endured a mixed bag at the T20 World Cup. While he was amongst the wickets on a regular basis, he struggled to register consistent scores with the bat. He put it behind him to plunder a 33-ball 63 in the semifinal against England, although the Men in Blue failed to defend 168.

There has been a growing cry for India to head in a fresh direction as far as their T20I game is concerned. In fact, conjecture has also called for the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper, who clinched the IPL title earlier this year, to take charge of the Indian setup in the shortest format.

Whether that happens or not is something only time will tell. Yet, there is a case for him to bat higher up the order than at No. 5 or No. 6, which he has been accustomed to of late.

Let's take a look at three reasons as to why Hardik should be India's new No. 4 going forward in T20Is.

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#1 Hardik Pandya would get ample time to get his eye in

When he first burst onto the scene, Hardik was one of those few batters who could hit sixes at will from the word go. With a major chink in his game against velocity on a hard length coming to the fore, though, this hasn't always been the case in recent times.

Even in the IPL this year, he played the anchor role to perfection by setting himself up for the final flourish. In fact, cast your mind back to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, where Hardik struggled initially and was on 13 off 15 deliveries. Once he got his eye in, he then flicked a switch to ransack 50 off the next 18 deliveries he faced in the slog overs.

From a mean six-hitter to a smart batter, Hardik has transitioned over time. Batting at No. 4 should allow India to use his skills to the best in T20Is while also giving him the ideal launchpad.

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#2 India could use other resources such as Suryakumar Yadav better

Suryakumar Yadav at 3 and Hardik Pandya at 4 could result in the best utilization of the strengths of both players.

Suryakumar Yadav's entry point in the semifinal against England came towards the end of the 9th over after Rohit Sharma's departure. India's crawl in their batting essay forced 'SKY' to take his chances and he perished in the process.

Arguably the best batter in the world in T20Is at present, Suryakumar ought to be utilized a lot better by the Men in Blue and batting him at No. 3 makes sense. To that end, Hardik slotting in at No. 4 allows him to do what he did for the Titans and act as the glue of the batting lineup.

If anything, this automatically pushes Virat Kohli - should he choose to continue playing this format for India - up to open the batting. The freedom of the powerplay and facing the hard new ball ought to unleash the best of him too, and this is a win-win situation for India.

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#3 It would help groom India's future finishing options at 5 and 6

India's current T20I setup is crying out loud for a couple of batters who can hit from the word go. Yes, we've spoken about Suryakumar, but using him as a finisher would amount to wastage of one of the best resources on offer.

While it remains to be seen which way the team heads in this regard, they simply must be thrown into the deep end of the pool and backed to accomplish the job they are picked for. It is, as simple as it sounds, the only way they will grow into the role as the finisher of the side and deliver on a regular basis.

This calls for Hardik at No. 4, thereby opening up a couple of spots after him. It could backfire initially and the players entrusted with the role at 5 and 6 might fail. But given India's struggles at the T20 World Cup, where they always needed a set batter to add the finishing touches, it possibly couldn't get any worse. And the rewards could well be seen in the long run as the next big event in 2024 beckons.

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What do you make of the idea of Hardik Pandya batting at No. 4 going forward in T20Is? Let us know in the comments section below!

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