Hardik Pandya has been one of the vital elements since his arrival in International cricket as an all-rounder, but his captaincy records so far have been satisfactory. Although the all-rounder has captained the side more in T20Is, Pandya has done relatively well. If not now, he can be a skipper in the future, as the BCCI might be interested in appointing him as a full-time skipper in T20Is after six months or so, just before the next T20 World Cup in the USA in 2024.
When it comes to the limited-overs format, Pandya might be a favoured candidate. Still, there might be another option in KL Rahul if the selectors think of having different skippers for different formats. So far, Pandya’s performance as a skipper has looked impressive in the shorter formats and one ODI. His decision-making with regard to the field placements has looked good. He has coordinated well with the seniors regarding bowling changes or guiding his bowlers. Pandya possesses the skills to lead the side in the future.
We look at his performances and stats as captain in all formats of international cricket and IPL.
Hardik Pandya Captaincy Records
| FORMAT | MATCHES AS CAPTAIN | WON | LOST | DRAW | TIE | NR | WIN% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ODI | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| T20I | 16 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
| IPL | 31 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70.97 |
Hardik Pandya Test Captaincy Records
With Rohit Sharma leading the team in the longer format, Pandya still hasn’t had a chance to captain the side. He has also not featured in the whites after returning from the injury as he is still not fully fit.
However, the all-rounder possesses a clever cricketing sense, as we have witnessed in his shorter-format and 50-over captaincy. The Surat-born needs time to understand and develop the technicalities of leading in the five-day games.
Hardik Pandya ODI Captaincy Records
Pandya was the skipper in the first ODI against Australia in the 2023 home series, as Rohit Sharma wasn’t available. Indian won the match by 5 wickets. The all-rounder made important decisions regarding operating spinner Kuldeep Yadav when Mitchell Marsh blew away the seamers from one end.
Pandya made crucial changes in the middle overs when positioning an extra fielder inside the inner ring. When Marsh got out, he brought in pacer Mohammed Shami who bowled a tight line. When it came to his batting, Pandya scored a crucial 25 in 31 balls when India was 39/4.
He put on a crucial 44-wicket partnership with KL Rahul for the fifth wicket. Although Pandya’s one-off ODI match as a captain can’t decide his fate as skipper, the all-rounder showcased a sense of responsibility with his captaincy, bowling, and batting. He also showcased the awareness of which pacer should bowl with the new ball and who should bowl in the middle overs.
Hardik Pandya T20I Captaincy Records
Pandya has already captained team India in 11 T20Is and has showcased a keen and clever understanding of a situation during critical moments. T20 cricket doesn’t give you enough time, and a skipper needs to be quick in whatever decision he takes in a short period.
Pandya was spot-on with his bowling changes, ability to read the situations, and the batsman’s shot selections. So far, his field placements have also looked spot on. Pandya has won 8 T20Is as captain, lost 2, and 1 ended with no result. His winning percentage in the shorter format is 72%.
Hardik Pandya IPL Captaincy Records
Pandya had a successful career as a lower-order batsman cum middle-overs bowler for Mumbai Indians until 2021. He was then bought by the new franchise Gujarat Titans in 2022 and was made the team captain.
The all-rounder was influential in 2022 when Gujarat Titans won the title in its first season. His captaincy was praised as he showcased a calm temperament and made clever changes in the bowling and the batting order per the opposition’s strengths. Due to the factor at some venues, Pandya highlighted clever awareness with the bowling changes when his side bowled second. In the first year, GT won 11 IPL games in 15 matches and lost 4 with a winning percentage of 73.33.
Hardik Pandya Individual Stats as Captain
| FORMAT | MATCHES | RUNS | BEST SCORE | 50s/100s | Wickets | BEST BOWLING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Tests | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| In ODIs | 3 | 102 | 70* | 1/0 | 1 | 1/29 |
| In T20Is | 16 | 296 | 30* | 0/0 | 12 | 4/16 |
| In IPL | 31 | 833 | 87* | 6/0 | 11 | 3/17 |
Relevant Read: What makes Gujarat Titans a successful side?
