"Our Body Language Is...": Hardik Pandya On 'Settling Score' With Sri Lanka

The Indian cricket team gears up for a 3-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the first match taking place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. Speaking to the media in the press conference on Monday, Hardik was asked if the Indian team would be looking to 'settle the score' with Sri Lanka, having suffered a defeat against them in their last match at the Asia Cup 2022. Hardik, however, played down the question, suggesting the team's body language would be enough.

"We are not looking to settle anything, just want to play good cricket. But yes I ensure they will feel that they are playing India in India. So we don't need to go and sledge them, just our body language is enough for them to feel intimidated, which we will do," the India skipper for the T20I series said.

"All the players who took the game away in Asia Cup are the ones I'm looking forward to stop," he added.

Hardik was also asked about the template the Indian team will adopt in the T20I series under his leadership. The stand-in skipper said that new plans will be tested to find out what is working for the team and what isn't.

"We are looking to play in a certain way which we will. Before the IPL, only six games are there. So we don't have much time to do a lot of things. But, going forward, we will keep creating new plans and see which plans are sticking and which are working for us. And, going forward, make sure that everyone gets ample opportunities," Hardik said.

The Indian cricket team is scheduled to play just 6 T20Is before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 begins. Hardik, who could take up the role of T20I skipper on a permanent basis in the near future, has plenty of work to do before India becomes a formidable side in the shortest format.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Sri Lanka Cricket Team Hardik Pandya Cricket