Hyderabad: All-rounder Hardik Pandya told Krishnamachari Srikkanth that he can't be compared to one of the greatest all-rounder India has ever had -- Kapil Dev, who won the country its first-ever World Cup in 1983. An overjoyed Srikkanth after Pakistan's defeat credited Hardik on his exceptional show during the contest and told him that he reminds him of Kapil Dev.
"I should not do comparisons. I do not compare eras. When I see you playing, the way you bowl, bat and field; it reminds me of Kapil Dev during our days. The impact you can create, is somewhat what Kapil used to create," K Srikkanth said. To which, Hardik, without wasting a second, replied: "He is the greatest!"
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Hardik, one of the vital cogs in the Indian team, played a crucial innings of 40 off 37 ball with the bat being the perfect foil to Virat Kohli, whose match-winning 82 won the game for India against Pakistan in the mouth-watering clash. His 3/30 too helped the team's cause even as he kept pitching short of a length delivery bowled consistently at 140 km per hour that restricted the opposition to 159/8 in 20 overs.
Right ahead of the match, he was asked about his cricketing ambitions, he had said, "Something I have been focussing since I made a comeback on being the best version of myself, get the best out of me. I am running towards I won't say greatness but running towards excellence.
"If I want to achieve something, it's excellence. At the end of my career, if I sit down and if I have achieved excellence in one point in time, that will be okay."
