Hardik Pandya reflects on his brief captaincy stint with Team India

All-rounder Hardik Pandya spoke about his experience leading the Indian cricket team, saying that leadership is defined by actions rather than the captain’s armband. He recalled captaining India for the first time in a 2022 T20I against Ireland in Dublin and later leading the side in ODIs, debuting as captain against Australia in 2023. Pandya noted that the pride of wearing the skipper’s badge lasted “only five minutes” before he turned his focus to improving the team. He missed the England white‑ball tour while recovering from injury. In total he has captained India in 19 matches – 16 T20Is (10 wins, 5 losses, 62% win rate) and 3 ODIs (2 wins, 1 loss, 67% win rate). Pandya emphasized personal happiness over external criticism, stating he plays for the team’s success rather than for titles.