T20 World Cup 2024: File photo of Hardik Pandya with Virat Kohli© AFP
Ahead of the much-awaited selection of the India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, there were discussions over star all-rounder Hardik Pandya‘s place in the squad of 15 on the basis of his current form in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to sources from Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI). Hardik is currently captaining MI in IPL 2024. The team finds itself at the bottom half of the table, with three wins and six losses at the ninth spot. Pandya has not been at the best form either, scoring just 197 runs in nine games at an average of 24.62 and a strike rate of over 151. His best score is 46. He has just bowled 19 overs in the tournament, taking four wickets at an average of 56.75 and an economy rate of 11.94.
Also, the sources said that this tournament could likely mark the final international level outing for veterans, skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I format.
Both Rohit and Virat returned to the T20I set-up in January this year against Afghanistan in January. Before that, their previous outing was the 10-wicket loss to England in the semifinals of the 2022 T20 WC in Australia. After this crushing loss, Team India tried youngsters like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal etc in the shorter format at the top of the order.
They are two of India’s most accomplished T20I batters. Virat is the highest run-getter in T20I cricket. In 117 matches, he has scored 4,037 runs at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of over 138, with a century and 37 fifties in 109 innings. His best score is 122*.
Rohit is the second-highest run-scorer in the format, scoring 3,974 runs at an average of over 31 and a strike rate of almost 140. His best score is 121*. He has five centuries and 29 fifties in the format.
With both of these players in the team, some young and promising stars could find themselves in reserves rather than playing eleven.
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