India, Jan. 27 -- All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been identified as the one who has come closest to replicating former India captain MS Dhoni's ability to finish games off by Sanjay Bangar. The 52-year-old, who was India's batting coach for lengthy periods between 2014 and 2019, has said that Pandya's versatility in the lower middle-order has been valuable to India in ODI cricket.

"In 50-over matches, Pandya has come the closest to replicating MS Dhoni's role as a finisher," said Bangar on Star Sports. "Dhoni used to take games deep, and his influence is most visible on Pandya. We've seen him take games to the 49th or 50th over and secure wins. At the same time, he's capable of rebuilding an innings if the team is struggling at 30-4. His ...