'Aur kitna wait bhai' - Fans rip apart Hardik Pandya for sidelining Prithvi Shaw ahead of first T20I vs New Zealand

After crushing New Zealand in the ODI series 3-0, the Men in Blue will once again face off against the mighty team in a three-match T20I series set to get underway on January 27, Friday. It would be a huge ask for team India as one could expect the Kiwis to come to all guns blazing after losing the ODI series in a humiliating way. 

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Hardik Pandya, the Indian allrounder, will continue his stint as the T20I captain for the approaching series and much to the delight of the Indian fans, the star batter Prithvi Shaw was roped into the squad after a long wait. However, ahead of the game, on Thursday, Pandya clarified that it would be southpaw Ishan Kishan and right-handed batter Shubman Gill who would be opening the innings in the initial game. 

Fans, who took cognizance of the same, claimed that it was a poor decision to keep Shaw away despite the latter proving his prowess in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. On the other hand, Gill and Kishan have been in stupendous form with both of them bagging a double ton to their name in the ODIs, with the southpaw holding the record for the fastest double century. 

New Zealand is a strong T20I team: Hardik Pandya

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Ahead of the first game on Friday, Pandya claimed that it would be a tough ask to defeat New Zealand in the shortest format of the game and added that the team would give it their all to clinch a win in the series. Further, the Indian allrounder said that it would be vital for the team to give it a fresh start against the mighty Black Caps after clinching the ODI series. 

“Nahi sir. Shubman ne bohot achha kiya hai so usko pehle mauka milega. Actually, mauke ki baat hi nahi hai. (No sir. Shubman has done really well so he will get the opportunity first. In fact, with him it doesn't even come down to opportunities) Shubman will start because the way he is batting, he will obviously be in the team," Pandya was quoted as saying. 

“New Zealand is a strong T20I team. They are a fine one-day unit as well even though the recent series outcome does not reflect that. They always challenge you as a team, which was the case in the 1st ODI in Hyderabad. If they could have pulled out that chase, they would have entered the second game full of confidence,” he added. 

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Here’s how fans have reacted to Hardik Pandya sidelining Prithvi Shaw from playing XI for the first T20I: 

GT lobby continues.

— Shivem Doobey (@1996cric) January 26, 2023

What else we can expect from this man.

— kuldeep singh (@ksnaruka99) January 26, 2023

Good keep him waiting.. Kyuki once he gets chance.. There is no looking back 🙂

— KR Amit (@iamitamu) January 26, 2023

Why Shaw has to wait? He made his debute before them.

— Shivem Doobey (@1996cric) January 26, 2023

Gill is in his prime form in ODIs

But that doesn't mean that he can play T20Is ahead of many deserving...

— Ravi Desai 🇮🇳 (@its_DRP) January 26, 2023

Every new captain chooses his own ipl players.

— 🇮🇳 Vipul Sehgal (@VipulSehgal312) January 26, 2023

Gill ne last series mei kya ukhada tha?

— मयंक (@MayankS40746347) January 26, 2023

Aur kitna wait bhai

— Sultan𓃵 (@its_sultan18) January 26, 2023

Once he is in Pandya won’t be the captain

— Raks Malhotra (@CricBallerRaks) January 26, 2023