Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s selection in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad depends on his bowling performance in the remaining Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 matches.
As per an Indian Express report, a meeting took place at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai, involving India skipper Rohit Sharma, selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar and head coach Rahul Dravid to evaluate all aspects before finalizing India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
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According to the Indian Express, one of the main part of the discussion in the two-hour meeting was focused on Hardik Pandya. With the T20 World Cup 2024 set to take place in the United States and West Indies, the Indian team management requires an in-form seam-bowling all-rounder.
Hardik Pandya was once considered the natural choice as India’s seam-bowling all-rounder for T20 World Cup 2024. However, his current form in IPL 2024 has now cast doubt on his chances of selection.
Hardik Pandya’s performance as an all-rounder in IPL 2024 has been lackluster so far. His performance with both bat and ball in IPL 2024 has failed to meet expectations.
In IPL 2024 so far, Hardik Pandya has bowled in four out of six matches for Mumbai Indians (MI). Notably, he opened the bowling in MI’s first two matches against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, delivering three and four overs, respectively. However, he did not bowl at all in the next two matches.
After this, Pandya bowled one over against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He bowled three overs in MI’s latest match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday – the same match in which MS Dhoni hit him for three back-to-back sixes at Wankhede.
Hardik Pandya’s economy rate is particularly a big concern, which stands at 12.00. In all these games, the MI captain has managed to bag just three wickets so far.
Not just bowling, Hardik Pandya’s batting form has also raised concerns. He has scored only 131 runs so far in IPL 2024. This has made cricketing experts question Pandya’s fitness with some even suggesting that he might be injured.
CSK’s Shivam Dube to replace Hardik Pandya in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad?
CSK’s star all-rounder Shivam Dube, a left-handed batsman, has caught everyone’s attention with his hard-hitting abilities. He has tackled the spinners very effectively and has even improved his game against fast bowlers.
But there’s another angle to it – a problem. Chennai Super Kings use Dube as an impact substitute and not as a bowling all-rounder. Even if selectors opt for Dube considering his ability to deliver power-hitting performances in the middle order, he might find himself utilized as a part-time bowler in T20 World Cup 2024.
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