IND vs SA 2022 | Hardik Pandya is the key player from India, opines Zaheer Khan

The Indian team under the leadership of Rishabh Pant will be up against South Africa in the five-match T20I series. With KL Rahul being ruled out due to a groin injury and Rishabh leading the side, Hardik Pandya has been named his deputy. The all-rounder had returned to the side following his brilliant performances during the IPL 2022. With senior players being rested, Hardik Pandya becomes a key member of the side for this series.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan talked about Hardik Pandya and said that he will be a key player for India during this series. “The key player from India for sure, only one player comes to my mind and that is Hardik Pandya. The last we saw him play for India was in the World Cup. He's had a good run in the IPL and is coming off a high from those performances and the leadership qualities which he has shown. I'm sure he will be looking forward to the big World Cup later this year. This is certainly going to be a lot of expectations from him (in) this series, looking at how he is shaping up,” Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz.

Zaheer Khan also said that India's focus will be on the T20 world cup which is slated to take place in Australia later this year. “International cricket is back, that is something which is exciting. Now the whole focus is going to be on what happens in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. I'm really looking forward to it as well,” he said.