Ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri feels all-rounder Hardik Pandya will have a big say in Indian cricket team's T20 World Cup squad selection matters next year, with new faces in the team. Ever since India's humiliating exit from last year's T20 World Cup semi-final in Australia, there were some serious doubts over "senior players" Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's place in the T20 scheme of things. "I think they will (look in a new direction)," Shastri told ESPN Cricinfo.
"The T20 World Cup is coming up and there is lot of talent among youth. This year's IPL, we have seen some refreshing new talent. There will be new faces not a new team. He (Hardik) is already captain of India, so he will continue unless he is not fit," the former India all-rounder was quoted as saying by PTI.
MS Dhoni-led 2007 World Cup Indian squad had fresh faces in the team with plenty of youngsters. Shastri feels the same will happen in T20 World Cup next year.
"Now they would go the 2007 T20 World Cup route and identify talent, and he (Hardik Pandya) will have big choice and his ideas will be different and he would have played IPL, and seen a lot of other players as captain of IPL.
"Obviously, he is the man who is going to take these guys out on the park, no one else, so whatever he says has to be given importance," he added.
But Shastri also wants everyone to have priorities clear.
"Don't even think of T20 World Cup till ODI World Cup is over, and after that you have enough time for T20s." As far as Hardik is concerned, Shastri finds him at his decision-making best when he is fit and leading from the front.
"He is supremely confident about his own abilities and the fact that he is fit now, makes a massive difference," he said.
The IPL no doubt will determine how India's T20 resources are stacked up next year, Shastri said.
"I believe one should be captain of his state in Ranji to captain in Test matches. Similarly IPL is your biggest domestic T20 tournament.
"It is a great (platform) to test temperament of a bloke against good opposition. Quality (compared to SMAT or Hazare) here is far better and you take all that into account and see who's leading which franchise and who's doing well."