The veteran Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had no hesitation in accepting that he “will be more than happy” if he is offered to lead the Indian team permanently. Pandya stood in place of Rohit Sharma during the fifth and final T20I against West Indies on Sunday. As Rohit was rested for the match, Pandya left the team to lead the men in blue to an 88-run win over West Indies to seal the series 4-1.

Talking about the same, after the match, Hardik Pandya said, “Very special to get a chance to lead your country. And getting that chance and getting that victory means a lot to me as a captain and as an individual. I was just following our captain’s roles.” When asked whether he sees himself as a permanent captain, Pandya said: “Yeah, why not? If I get an opportunity, I’ll be more than happy to do that.”

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This was not the first time that Hardik Pandya led the Indian team as he led the team during the two-match T20I series against Ireland earlier in June. The India all-rounder further said that he now wants to shift his focus to the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE and the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia in October.

Describing the same, Hardik Pandya said, “We have a World Cup and Asia Cup now though, so we need to focus on that and use our skillsets there. Just got to know how to keep getting better. Pressure and environment wise we are ready but, in this sport, you never stop learning. The kind of talent the players have and the freedom we have.”

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He further added, “This is the new India how they are playing. They express themselves well, and when you have freedom, you get more dangerous. Credit to management and the whole group to make that environment. They are not worried about whether they won’t get picked or whether they will get dropped.”