Caribbean pacer Kesrick Williams has come up with high praise for Hardik Pandya after his excellent T20I outing against Bangladesh.
West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams recently compared India all-rounder Hardik Pandya to the legendary West Indies batter Sir Vivian Richards. In an exclusive interaction with Cricxtasy, Williams said that Hardik’s jaw-dropping no-look ramp shot in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh left him completely awestruck.
“Hardik Pandya reminds me of Vivian Richards,” Williams told Cricxtasy during an event organised by The Dugout Sports Club in Kolkata on Thursday, October 17.
“That no-look ramp shot he played a couple of weeks ago and then just walked aside like he doesn’t care, chewing his gum like you know, ‘I am Viv. I am from the Caribbean and I have style. I have Vigor.’ So, he is my favourite Indian player currently,” the Caribbean pacer added.
Pandya’s no-look ramp shot, which Williams referenced, has already gained attention across the cricketing world. It’s moments like these that have helped build Pandya’s reputation as a player who thrives under pressure and enjoys performing on the big stage. The shot, played effortlessly and followed by his casual walk to the side, sums up the confidence he carries with him on the field.
[WATCH] Hardik Pandya matches famous Virat Kohli checked shot for six to set social media on fire
Hardik was seen in superb all-round form throughout the three-match series and was also adjudged the Player of the Series. He scored a total of 118 runs in those three matches, at a superb average of 59 and astonishing strike-rate of 222.64, and also picked up a wicket.
His best score of 47 came in the third T20I, where India posted a mammoth total of 297/6. Hardik played a pivotal role in helping India win the T20 World Cup earlier this year. These few months have been great for him after a enduring a torrid time during IPL 2024.
Hardik’s return to form is good news for Team India and Williams’ applause for his attitude and playing style, and comparison with a Caribbean Great, sums up how well he is respected in the cricketing community across the globe.
William’s also went on to talk about how invincible the Indian team is right now. On being asked about India’s chances to win the next T20 World Cup, he said, “India have it in them to win the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and the WTC as well.”
“As a matter of fact, India have it in them to play one team playing against England in England, one team playing in India against another team, and one team in West Indies playing against another team. And, that too, I am talking about different formats. India have enough players to do that.
“Since I have been here in India, I have been watching a few matches like the Ranji Trophy, the Maharaja Cup, and the talent I am seeing, I am not sure when India’s gonna take a dip. Kohli and Rohit may have retired from T20Is, but when I look at India’s top-order, I just don’t miss anything. They have so many good players and by the next T20 World Cup, I think they are gonna be even better than what we saw in Barbados,” he concluded.
