Pandya will be assisted by Rishabh Pant, who will not only assume wicketkeeping duties, but also don the role of Team India’s vice-captain.

Pandya’s leadership ability was one of the breakaway stories from the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after he led Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title in their debut season.

His exploits with the IPL franchise rewarded him with the opportunity to captain the national side. He led the Men in Blue to a 2-0 series win against Ireland earlier this year and was also at the helm in a T20I fixture against West Indies in Rohit Sharma’s absence.

Lauding Pandya’s ability to stay calm under pressure, Laxman said in a press-conference ahead of the T20I series between India and New Zealand:

Laxman continued:

Laxman added:

Pandya has been primed by several to take over as Team India’s full-time T20 captain when Rohit Sharma steps aside. The think tank is looking to employ a new approach, mentality-wise when it comes to the shortest format. The radical move will likely see lesser involvement from the senior players.

“I think T20 cricket requires playing with a lot of freedom and clarity of thought” - VVS Laxman

The manner with which Team India approach T20I matches has been the talk of the town since their brutal exit from the World Cup at the hands of eventual champions England.

The Men in Blue had seemingly embraced the aggressive brand of cricket and had tangible results under their belt going into the World Cup.

However, the No.1-ranked T20I side were back in their shells under pressure, resulting in highly timid and tentative cricket, reprising their exploits from the previous edition of the tournament.

Opining that the team needs to find the optimum balance between playing freely and assessing the conditions to play according to the situation, Laxman said:

Laxman continued:

Laxman concluded:

Laxman will conduct the coaching duties for India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand after head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the coaching staff were handed a rest following the T20 World Cup 2022.

India are scheduled to take on the Kiwis in the first of three T20Is on Friday, November 18, at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

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