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India is all set to play a five-match T20I series against South Africa at home starting June 9.
The completion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 did not just see Gujarat Titans (GT) win the trophy but also saw the return of all-rounder Hardik Pandya people love.
Now with the focus shifting to national duty and the Gujarat skipper making a return to the Indian squad, fit and fine, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has a suggestion for India head coach Rahul Dravid.
India is all set to play a five-match T20I series against South Africa at home starting June 9. It will mark the second phase of preparation for the T20 World Cup later in October.
Gavaskar told Star Sports that if Hardik along with Rishabh Pant can bat at No.5 and 6 for India, the side will have the ability to score almost 120 runs in just 6 overs.
"I think he'll probably be slotted at five or six. Just imagine, if India has a Hardik Pandya and a Rishabh Pant at five or six. They can probably swap around a little bit -- that is going to be some explosive combination from the 14th to the 20th over. In six overs, you can probably expect even maybe 100-120 runs. They are capable of doing that. So, that's going to be an exciting aspect. That's something I'm really looking forward to -- Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya batting at five or six," Gavaskar said.
Hardik Pandya had last played for India in the 2021 T20 World Cup following which he was in rehabilitation due to his back injury. In IPL 2022, Hardik scored 487 runs at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.27. Not just that, he also picked eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.28.