Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes | Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan wicketkeeper, lauded Hardik Pandya but stated he has a long way to go before being compared to Ben Stokes in his YouTube Video.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif stated that Hardik Pandya‘s innings are outstanding at the number he plays.
Hardik Pandya has played several better innings than Ben Stokes. Still, Rashid Latif believes that Ben Stokes is better than the Indian all-rounder regarding overall international trophies.
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan wicketkeeper, believes Ben Stokes is superior to Hardik Pandya because the former has a proven track record in international cricket.
Many questions have been made about India’s performance in the first T20I against Australia.
The magnificent innings of KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya helped the team to a massive total of 208 runs.
However, the bowlers’ poor performance allowed Australia to execute their most successful run-chase in 20-over cricket to date.
Even after India’s embarrassing defeat, Pandya’s explosive 71-run knock earned him praise from fans and other cricketers, establishing him as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket in recent years.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif says it is too soon to take that judgement since the Indian all-rounder has yet to show himself.
Hardik Pandya | One of The Best All-Rounders
It would be impossible for India to score as many runs against Australia if Hardik Pandya had not been there to support them.
Hardik’s unbeaten 71 off 30 balls broke the stalemate and provided a good score for Team India, putting another stop on the road to recovery.
Hardik’s rise is novel in Indian cricket, and he has improved significantly as a batsman. He’s also quite good at bowling.
Moreover, he can bowl at a high rate. Hardik’s excellent batting and fast bowling make him one of the best all-rounders of the modern era.
His ability to consistently bowl his overs quota sealed his return to the side.
With the team viewing him as a reliable sixth-bowling option, the playing XI gains additional balance assurance.
Yet to Demonstrate on The Big Stage | Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes
Pandya is ranked fifth among all-rounders in the most recent ICC T20 rankings.
However, Ben Stokes, the captain of England’s Test team, is often compared to Hardik.
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan captain, does not want to pass judgment on Hardik.
On the contrary, they first want to see this all-rounder succeed on the big stage.
Then something will happen.
Ben Stokes Leads The Way | Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes
When asked about Hardik Pandya on his YouTube channel Caught Behind, Latif dismissed the comparison to Ben Stokes.
He believes that contrasting the two is pointless. Ben Stokes was instrumental in England’s World Cup victory in 2019.
“There’s no denying that Hardik is a fantastic player, but this is a bilateral series. Such innings are familiar in bilateral series.
The Asia Cup recently concluded, and it is also essential to consider those performances. I’m not referring to today’s game, but Ben Stokes has proven himself.
He won the World Cup and the Tests for England.”
Some of Hardik's Innings Outperformed Ben Stokes' | Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes
“Therefore, I don’t think there is any comparison regarding on-field performance,”
the former Pakistan wicketkeeper/batsman said.
Ben Stokes is far ahead of Hardik in this regard. True, Hardik.
Some of India’s innings have been better than Ben Stokes’, but being better than Stokes is entirely different.”
Hardik Pandya will return to action in the second T20I on September 23 in Nagpur today.