"He is two players in one, and a luxury to have"- Glenn McGrath hails the Indian "confident" superstar
India currently has more than 30+ cricketers in the scheme of things that can represent the country at any level. Despite the unavailability of the senior players, there are a number of young players that can replace them and perform well in their absence. That is the reason India has already made two teams that can play two different opponents at the same time.
The depth of the Indian side is so strong that even the second string team can beat any first choice team of other nations. Players like Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Kishan, and some others have already made their presence count.
However, these players find it hard to make it into the team in the presence of the seniors. But India is making sure that they have a set of players who are ready to take the responsibilities when the time comes.
Notably, players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to play until the 2023 ODI World Cup, hoping to end India's trophy drought in ICC events. However, apart from these players, there is another superstar who has become an important part of the team.
He is none other than India's star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya. Since making his comeback from injury, the all-rounder has done a tremendous job. He is performing better than ever before and his presence is giving India the perfect balls because he is bowling well and also batting with more maturity.
Former legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath also believes that he is the game-changer in the Indian side and is a "two-in-one player". In an interview, McGrath said that a cricketer should have enough confidence to play the game, and the 28-year-old has been looking very confident since his return.
He said, "If he is bowling well, it has a positive impact on his batting. He is two players in one. He is a luxury. He is a good, intelligent bowler and a powerful hitter. He has got a good game plan."
The former pacer also spoke on the declining popularity of ODI cricket. He also believes that 50-over cricket is facing an issue due to the increase of T20 cricket. McGrath added that the cricket world needs to do more to make ODIs interesting. He concluded, "They have got to keep making it (ODIs) exciting. They have got a few challenges."