Hardik obviously is a superstar of the game: Kane Williamson

India will be playing New Zealand in a six-match white-ball series consisting of 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs. Hardik Pandya will be leading the Indian contingent in the distant shores of New Zealand and his recent stint in the international arcade ever since his return has been an impressive one.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was all praise for the Indian captain for the shortest format of the game in the upcoming series. He spoke at length about Hardik Pandya’s stature as a cricketer and how he has transformed himself into a juggernaut of the sport.

Speaking in a media interaction organized by Prime Video ahead of the series, Williamson said, “Hardik obviously is a superstar of the game. I played against him on a number of occasions. He is one of the most sought-after match-winners. And the fact that he is an all-rounder, his bowling going really well and can hit the ball like he does. He is a special cricketer. As for his leadership skill goes, I haven't played with him so I exactly don't know, but he has had a lot of success in IPL. And with the leadership within India, they have got a number of great and experienced players. So their leadership and guidance of that under Rohit Sharma and the likes of Virat Kohli will be very helpful.”

Williamson also talked about rising Indian fast bowling sensation, Umran Malik who played alongside the Kiwi skipper at Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kane said, “Umran is a super exciting talent. Spending time with him last year at the IPL and see his raw pace was a real asset to the team. To see him in the international scene now has been an amazing rise for him. And I think when you’ve got that ability to bowl 150 mark as a fast bowler, it’s very exciting," Williamson said. 

"I think by being in the squad, clearly there is high hopes that he will have an involvement with Indian cricket for a long time. Coming on on these tours where they’ve got the opportunity to play more and more, will certainly only help him on his journey. But yeah, fantastic talent,” added the former SRH skipper.