T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma set to take revenge from Hardik Pandya along with Ajit Agarkar

Before the T20 World Cup 2024 squad is finalized, there's a crucial discussion surrounding the bowling fitness of Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is focusing on Hardik Pandya's bowling before making any decisions on selection for the ICC event.

Players' performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season hold significance in making it into the 15-member squad for the upcoming tournament in June. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar attended a recent IPL 204 match between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

According to a report from PTI, the chairman of the national selection committee will meet with Indian team captain Rohit Sharma in Delhi. Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma will discuss the preliminary squad. The official announcement of the Indian team is scheduled for May 1 in Mumbai.

Hardik Pandya's Poor Performances In The IPL 2024

The report states that senior players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are certain selections in the squad. The selection process is expected to be straightforward. However, the committee will focus on the remaining slots, especially Hardik Pandya's bowling fitness for the World Cup.

The Mumbai Indians captain's performance in this IPL season has been underwhelming both as a player and captain. The all rounder has scored 197 runs in nine matches at an average of 24.63 and a strike rate of 151.54. He scored 46 runs in his recent match against the Delhi Capitals.

Hardik has struggled with the ball and has taken only four wickets at a disappointing economy rate of 11.95. The Mumbai Indians are currently ninth in the points table, having won only three out of nine matches. Their chances of making it to the playoffs in the ongoing event appear slim.

If Hardik Pandya secures his place in the final 15-member squad, there might not be much room for other all-rounders. This could leave the selection committee with a tough choice between Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh for the remaining slot.

Should Not Give Hardik Pandya That Much Priority - Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan stated that Indian cricket should not give priority to Hardik Pandya. Pathan stated that Pandya hasn't yet made a significant impact as an all-rounder in international cricket.

“What I feel about Hardik Pandya is that Indian cricket needs to make it clear that they should not give him that much priority as they have given him so far,” Pathan said.

“If you think you are a primary allrounder, you need to make that kind of an impact at the international level. As an allrounder he hasn’t made that kind of impact at the international level... still now we are only thinking about the potential,” he added.

During T20 World Cups, the 30-year-old has scored 213 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.67 and a strike rate of 136.54 with a best score of 63. The right-arm pacer has taken 13 wickets at an average of 25.31 and an economy rate of 9.14 with best figures of 3/30.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: KL Rahul, Sanju Samson snubbed, uncapped RCB Pacer selected in India's WC squad picked by Zaheer Khan