Scott Styris Backs Hardik Pandya's Talent, Compares Him To Ben Stokes

Hardik Pandya has faced a challenging period since the T20 World Cup win. The Indian cricketer lost his vice-captaincy and had a lacklustre start to the T20 series against Sri Lanka.

Despite these setbacks, former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has offered significant praise for Pandya. Styris highlighted Pandya's immense talent and potential.

Pandya was removed from the leadership contention in the T20 format. Although he was initially favoured for the role, Suryakumar Yadav was chosen instead. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned Hardik's fitness issues as the primary reason for this decision, emphasising the need for a captain who could regularly participate in matches.

Styris commented on this situation, stating that while Hardik's ability is unquestionable, he needs to demonstrate more consistency. He even compared Hardik's skills to those of England star Ben Stokes.

"This champion all-rounder (Hardik Pandya) has got as many skills as anyone. He's probably in a similar ability zone as someone like Ben Stokes. He's got much more talent than that (recent performances)," Styris said to PTI in a video interview.

The New Zealand star also praised Axar Patel, expressing his admiration for the Indian all-rounder.

"I'm a huge fan of Axar Patel. I picked him in my World Cup squad (of India) during the IPL. He's one of those players who always gets in the fight, always gets in the contest."

Pandya aims to make a strong comeback in the remaining two matches against Sri Lanka. However, he will not participate in the ODI series due to personal reasons.

"He is a phenomenally skilled cricketer. But he hasn't quite shown it yet as consistently enough for my liking. So, just let him get out there and just say, you've got to lead us now by your performance," the former New Zealand player added.

With support from figures like Styris, Pandya hopes to regain his form and prove his worth on the field once again.