The latest reports have suggested that India captain, Rohit Sharma, coach, Rahul Dravid, and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, are still in discussion over Hardik Pandya’s role in the team. x
Hardik Pandya has already been named as India’s vice-captain for the T20 World Cup 2024 but doubts have started to emerge over his spot in the team after recent reports that came out on Tuesday. Pandya going to West Indies and USA for T20 World Cup as India’s vice-captain as confirmed by BCCI general secretary Jay Shah in February during a cricket board event, but latest reports have suggested that the captain of the team, Rohit Sharma, coach, Rahul Dravid, and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, are still in discussion over Pandya’s role in the team.
As per a report in Indian Express , Rohit, Dravid and Agarkar had a team meeting last week in Mumbai and during this two-hour meet, a decision was taken that Pandya will have to bowl regularly if he has to return to the Indian side.
Pandya is currently struggling to make an impact as captain and batter at Mumbai Indians after replacing Rohit Sharma and facing the fans’ wrath and his bowling has also taken a hit. He has bowled in just four of the six matches and completed his full quota of four overs only once. He currently boasts an economy rate of 12 and have just three wickets to his name.
The form Gujarat Titans captain provides Team India balance with his seam-bowling all-rounder role but with him struggling as a bowler, on flat pitches in IPL which has offered very little swing, there are concerns over how he can fit into the team.
Another report in The Telegraph has raised questions over Pandya’s fitness and added that the all-rounder probably “hasn’t fully recovered from the ankle injury” that he suffered midway through the ODI World Cup last year. The report went on to say that on current form, Pandya is not an automatic choice for the T20 World Cup 2024.
The reports also added that selectors are interested in Shivam Dube who impressed for India against Afghanistan and has scored 242 runs in six matches for Chennai Super Kings at a strike rate of 163.51. However, he hasn’t bowled so far even if he is a seam-bowing all-rounder.
This means Pandya stays favourite for the pace-bowling all-rounder role but the reports suggest that his selection could get tough if he continues to have poor numbers with bowling as he is not seen as someone who can be picked as a pure batter.
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