Despite many other experts claiming that India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is the next incarnation of the legendary Kapil Dev, the Baroda cricketer has refused to be compared to the famous 1983 World Cup-winning skipper.
Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev retired in 1994, and the Indian cricket team has yet to produce another all-rounder of his calibre in nearly three decades. Team India produced some all-round cricketers like Irfan Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, but the search for the next Kapil Dev continues.
Many former cricketers have spoken about similarities between Kapil and Hardik. The 28-year-old's excellent batting and medium pace convinced observers that he was similar to Indian all-rounder Kapil, but it was too early to put Pandya in the same category at this stage.
"I have very respectfully denied that (comparisons with Kapil Dev), because I don't think I am close to him. What he did and the era in which he did it, I have always mentioned, that if I achieve even five percent of what he has done… I have still not achieved that five percent. So for me, it's people and pundits' jobs to compare," Hardik said on the SG Podcast.
Former Indian captain performed exceptionally with both bat and ball. Hardik's career was hampered after he suffered a back injury in 2018 and surgery in 2019. subsequently struggled to return to that level. This resulted in his having a break from the game while recovering from surgery, returning more fit in IPL 2022, and even bowling consistently. It took him nearly three years to get back into the action with the ball.
"For me, I am just a Hardik Pandya who is trying to get better. I can't come close to Kapil Dev at the end of the day. He has been the greatest cricketer of all time. The kind of impact that he had on the game… from bowling to batting, fielding, yeah, the comparisons end from my side. It is still up to people but respectfully I will deny that," added Hardik.
Hardik Pandya recently led the Gujarat Titans to their first IPL title in their inaugural season. It was his first time leading a team at this level.