IPL-17 | Ganguly impressed with Pant’s form, backs Hardik as MI captain

Delhi Capitals’s mentor Sourav Ganguly. File
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain and BCCI chief, has stressed that Rishabh Pant is making a case to be picked for the T20 World Cup. Ganguly, the Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket, also backed Hardik Pandya amidst the Mumbai Indians captaincy row.

“I will let a few more matches go. He is doing very well, as you all must have seen, keeping, batting, so he has held up well,” Ganguly said at the Wankhede Stadium while addressing the pre-match media interaction ahead of Sunday’s Indian Premier League tie.

“His form is fantastic, especially the way he has batted in the last two games. So let another week go, and I will be able to answer, provided the selectors want to pick him – that is most important. He is fully fit.”

Making a comeback to competitive cricket after nearly 15 months after being involved in a car accident, Pant has tallied 152 runs in four innings, at a strike rate of 158+. While the Capitals’ captain is in the headlines for the right reasons, his Mumbai Indians counterpart Hardik has been booed in all of MI’s three losses so far.

“I don’t think they should boo Hardik Pandya. The franchisee has appointed him as captain. That’s what happens in sport, whether you captain India or whether you captain your state or whether you captain your franchise, you are appointed as captain,” Ganguly said.

“Rohit Sharma is different class, his performance for his franchise and for India has been at a different level whether as captain or player. It is not Hardik’s fault he has been appointed captain.”