India vs SA T20Is: Sunil Gavaskar suggests best batting slot for Hardik Pandya ahead of series vs Proteas

Hardik Pandya has been the talk of the town ever since he led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden title in the IPL 2022 final. Beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in the summit clash, on Sunday evening (May 29) at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat franchise have won hearts whereas Hardik's all-round abilities and leadership qualities have been hailed by many.

Now, Hardik is set for a return in Team India jersey as the white-ball side is set to host Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in a five-match T20I series, starting on June 09 in New Delhi. For the unversed, the series will mark the 28-year-old Hardik's return as he last played for the national side during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Ahead of his return, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Hardik, post IPL 2022 final, and suggested his batting slot for Team India for the SA T20Is.

Speaking to Star Sports, batting legend said, "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."

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Hardik will be eager to make a mark in his return to India's white-ball side. With the 2022 T20 World Cup scheduled to be held later this year, in Australia, the IPL-winning captain will be desperate to be right on the money in blue jersey and continue to make heads turn.

India squad for SA T20Is: KL Rahul (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.