The new captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI), Hardik Pandya, was anticipated to be the top pick when Team India was searching for seam-bowling all-rounders. But the team management is apparently concerned about his dismal performance in the current IPL. Hardik has struggled to perform to expectations both at bat and with the ball due to his frequent ailments, and his leadership is being questioned as the Mumbai Indians have lost four of their first six games.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has its sights set on the T20 World Cup in June, even if the IPL carnival is currently in full gear. It has been reported that during a meeting last week at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, skipper Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar focused mostly on Hardik Pandya’s inclusion.
Moreover, in four of the six games thus far, Hardik Pandya has bowled.
He did not bowl in the following two matches, choosing instead to begin the attack for MI against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he bowled one over; against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in their most recent encounter, he bowled three. With just three wickets to his credit this season, the 30-year-old has given up runs at an economy rate of 12.00.
Hardik Pandya let up 26 runs to CSK in the last over of the innings, which included three straight sixes to MS Dhoni and ultimately proved to be the difference in MI’s 20-run loss. The Indian Express reports that Hardik’s inclusion in the Indian T20 World Cup team will be contingent on his performance and volume of bowling throughout the remaining IPL matches.
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“In a meeting between India head coach Rahul Dravid, chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai last week, it’s understood that a decision was taken that Hardik has to bowl regularly if he wants to make a comeback,” said the report.
Door-knocking Shivam Dube
Ever since joining CSK, Shivam Dube has improved his game. For the five-time champions, the southpaw has been one of the most reliable players, and India will look to him to mercilessly destroy the spinners at the World Cup. The selectors are keeping a watch on him because of his better performance when facing fast bowlers.
Though Dube hasn’t bowled in the IPL thus far, he is often an impact player who mostly exploits his batting skills. India, on the other hand, is searching for an all-around seam bowler. Hardik will benefit from this and India would be pleased to have him return to form in order to stabilise an already potent batting lineup.
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