Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar showered praise on all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of the five-match T20I series against South Africa. The former cricketer said that Pandya is irreplaceable in the white-ball formats, as he is good enough to play either as a specialist batter or as a frontline fast bowler.
Pandya returned to the team after recovering from a left quadricep injury. He missed the Asia Cup 2025 final clash against Pakistan, the Australia tour, and the ODI series against South Africa. The all-rounder is ready to take his place in the playing XI in the upcoming T20I series against the Aiden Markram-led team.
No Other Player Like Hardik Pandya In The Indian Team - Sanjay BangarSanjay Bangar described Hardik Pandya as a one-of-a-kind cricketer. Bangar compared Pandya to Ben Stokes for England and Ravindra Jadeja for India. He added that Pandya could walk into the top five on the strength of his batting alone, while his bowling is good enough to place him among the top seamers.
