Hardik Pandya led Team India for the first time in a 50-over match against Australia during the first ODI of the three-match series on March 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Although he had captained India in T20Is on multiple occasions in the past, this was his first time leading a full-strength Indian team in a One Day International. The opportunity to captain the Indian team arose as Rohit Sharma, the regular captain, was unable to attend due to his brother-in-law’s wedding. Pandya, however, made the most of his opportunity and led India to a victory in the series opener.

pic.twitter.com/SH6qjx889V
— CricAddaa (@cricadda) March 17, 2023

Despite the victory, a video clip of Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Kuldeep Yadav conversing during the match is going viral on social media platforms. In the video, Pandya is seen leaving the conversation abruptly even before Virat had finished speaking, leaving Kohli taken aback. While the clip does not reveal the entirety of the episode, Pandya’s sudden exit from the discussion has surprised many.

The second ODI of the series will take place on March 19 at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, and Rohit Sharma will be back to lead the team. Despite the return of the regular captain, Pandya’s leadership skills have earned him praise from former cricketers and experts of the game, who see him as a future captaincy option for Team India.

Pandya’s ODI captaincy debut was a successful one as he led India to a win against a formidable Australian team. Although his sudden exit from the conversation with Kohli and Yadav during the match has raised a few eyebrows, his leadership skills have earned him recognition as a potential future captain for the Indian cricket team. As the series progresses, it remains to be seen how Pandya’s leadership and performance shape up, but his debut as an ODI captain has certainly been a promising one.