Former India opener Robin Uthappa provides valuable perspective on why Hardik Pandya need not fret over losing the T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav. Uthappa emphasizes that serving the country takes precedence over captaincy.
Hardik’s role as a fast-bowling all-rounder is rare, and managing his injury-prone career is crucial. By relieving him of captaincy, the focus shifts to extending his career and offering long-term service to India.
Uthappa’s comments on Hardik Pandya
“If I were in Hardik’s place, I would actually feel taken care of to a certain extent. Because within the Indian cricket ecosystem, a fast-bowling all-rounder is a very rare commodity,” Uthappa explained. He highlighted the significance of managing an injury-prone career, particularly for a player in his mid-thirties,” Uthappa said.
“If I’m 34-35 years old and I’m someone who’s been injury-prone through my career and a certain responsibility has been taken away from me with the mindset of extending my career and giving me the best chance to offer my services to my country for as long as possible, keeping that in view, I would actually say OK this is the best thing for me,” Uthappa added.
Uthappa acknowledges that, as players age, preserving their fitness becomes vital. Hardik, at 34-35 years old, benefits from this strategic decision. It allows him to contribute effectively without the added burden of captaincy.
Reflecting on personal priorities, Uthappa shared, “If you asked me between the two what I would pick as a human being, I would say, serving my country and winning as many World Cup championships, irrespective of whether I was a captain or whether I was just a player.”
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Uthappa also provided insights into Hardik Pandya’s mindset, emphasizing Pandya’s dedication to the team’s success over personal accolades. “Knowing Hardik Pandya on a certain level, I would say he’d be someone saying it’s fine, their perspective is also right. They want a player of my quality and calibre to be able to serve my country for as long as possible. And I would love to do that as well.”
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