Hardik Pandya has been under fire ever since he took over the Mumbai Indians captaincy from Rohit Sharma this year. To make matters worse, the MI captain’s form with both the ball and the bat hasn’t been up to the mark, which had even cast doubt on the all-rounder’s selection in the T20 World Cup squad.
Now, former India player Yuvraj Singh has come out in support of Pandya, stating that he is happy that the 30-year-old has found a place in India’s T20 World Cup squad despite his mediocre IPL form. Yuvraj also stated that the all-rounder’s bowling will play an important role in India’s T20 campaign.
In an interaction with ICC, Yuvraj said, “Well, the good thing is that the selection has been made. (BCCI selection committee sees) how players have performed in international cricket and then they look at IPL form, not just the IPL form,”
“Because if you look at the IPL form, Hardik has not done well. Looking at his background for India, what he’s done for India, it is important that he is in the squad. I think his bowling is going to be important, and his fitness is going to be important. And I think he might do something really special in this World Cup,” the former Indian player added.
Yuvraj lauds Shivam Dube’s selection in T20 World Cup squad:
Yuvraj was also delighted with Shivam Dube’s inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad. The all-rounder was in excellent form during the IPL 2024 season, scoring 396 runs in 14 matches at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 162.
Speaking about Dube’s inclusion in the Indian squad, Yuvraj said, “I think with Shivam Dube, the last T20 series he played for India, I think he did well. And he’s been very consistent in the IPL as well. I just felt the kind of form he’s in, it was important for him to be in the squad. I really think he can make a huge difference in the middle order or the lower middle order, so it’s good to see him in the Indian T20 squad,”
The 20-over World Cup kicks off just days after the IPL 2024 final with the opening match between the United States and Canada on June 2. Meanwhile, the penultimate clash for the T20 World Cup trophy will take place on June 29.
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Published: 22 May 2024, 01:52 PM IST