Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni
Flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Wednesday selected his all-time XI form the history of Indian Premier League wherein he picked the players solely based on their records in the tournament.
Hardik picked his XI while in conversation with Harsha Bhogle in 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'. There weren't any big surprises in any of his selection with four players from Mumbai Indians, two each from Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and one apiece from Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hardik went in with Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma as his openers followed by the swashbuckling pair of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni finished the middle-order lineup with. He also picked himself as the sole all-rounder in the squad. The bowling department comprised two spinners - Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan - and two pacers - Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga.
Hardik also picked Dhoni as the skipper ahead of Rohit, despite the latter bagging a record four IPL titles.
Hardik Pandya’s all-time IPL XI: Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Hardik Pandya, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga.
Earlier in the interview, Hardik spoke about his IPL team Mumbai Indians' former coach Ricky Ponting for supporting him through the tough phase of his life.
"In 2015, someone who looked after me the best was Ricky Ponting. He looked after me as a child. I felt like he was a father figure for me.
Learned so much," he said.
"Ricky taught me situations, mindsets. He used to sit with me before I went into bat. I would sit near boundary rope and call Ricky. He would sit with me and tell me what's happening. So I grasped and learned quickly," he revealed.
