T20 WC 2024: "Hardik Pandya isn't competing with Shivam Dube but with Ravindra Jadeja"- CSK legend's take

Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu shared his view on the different roles of Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Shivam Dube in the context of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

Despite their similar profiles as all-rounders, Rayudu claimed that Pandya and Dube are not competing for the same spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad. Dube showcased his batting prowess with a remarkable innings during the 39th IPL 2024 clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 23 at Chepauk.

Dube's explosive 66 off 27 deliveries, combined with Ruturaj Gaikwad's unbeaten century, helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set a challenging target of 211 runs for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Chepauk Stadium. However, Marcus Stoinis's sensational 124* off 63 balls led LSG to a stunning victory by six wickets over the defending champions.

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are not competing for the same spot: Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu highlighted Dube's key role in the match, saying he provided crucial support to Gaikwad when the CSK top-order faltered. They added 104 runs to bring CSK back into the game and post the challenging total on the board. However, Dube has not yet gotten the chance to bowl this season.

The former Indian batter further explained the different roles of Dube and Pandya in the Indian cricket team. He stressed that while both are all-rounders, Dube's role differs significantly from Pandya's. Rayudu said that Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are finishers, but Dube bats at No. 5 or 6 and can hit boundaries and accelerate in slow conditions.

Ambati Rayudu was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo: “Both of them are not competing for the same spot. Hardik and Jadeja are finishers in the Indian team, and Dube is the kind of batter who comes in at No. 4 or 5. When the spinners are operating and conditions are slow, he can hit boundaries and accelerate to change the game. But between overs 16 and 20, Dube's strike rate isn't that high, he fails to hit that many runs. So, I feel Hardik and Jadeja have that role in the Indian team.”

Notably, Rayudu has also recently named his India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which is set to be co-hosted by the USA and West Indies in June. The former CSK batter has picked his former teammate Dube as his all-rounder alongside Jadeja over Pandya for the mega event.

Here’s Ambati Rayudu’s Predicted T20 World Cup 2024 Squad:

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Riyan Parag, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Shivam Dube, Mayank Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

On the other hand, CSK lost two matches on the trot against the same side, LSG, and they have now slipped to 5th spot in the IPL 2024 points table with 8 points from 8 games. CSK will look to bounce back in the highly-anticipated clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 28 in Chennai.