Highlights of India's T20 World Cup 2024 Squad Announcement:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the much-awaited announcement on April 30, but the selection process itself now faces scrutiny. Specialists and fans alike question Hardik Pandya's inclusion based on recent IPL performances, which many deem unworthy of a spot on the team. Meanwhile, the exclusions of Ravi Bishnoi and Rinku Singh have also raised eyebrows.
India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, had previously indicated that IPL performances would play a crucial role in the World Cup selection. Hardik's struggles in both batting and bowling throughout the IPL make his selection puzzling.
Ravi Bishnoi, ranked in the top 10 of ICC's T20 bowlers, finds himself out of the squad, not even as a reserve. Rinku Singh, on the other hand, has managed a reserve spot.
Let's delve into Hardik Pandya's situation. After recovering from an injury sustained during the World Cup 2023, Hardik returned for the IPL 2024 to captain Mumbai Indians, taking over from Rohit Sharma. However, Mumbai Indians' performance has been less than stellar under his leadership, currently placing ninth on the points table with only three wins out of ten games, putting their playoff hopes to rest.
Source: aajtak
Hardik's IPL tenure as an all-rounder has been underwhelming this season, managing 197 runs with a batting average of 150.38 and a strike rate of 21.89 in ten matches with no memorable innings. His bowling figures have been equally unimpressive, with an average of 42.17 and an expensive economy rate of 11, capturing just six wickets in ten games.
Moving on to Hardik's international career, at 30, he has played 11 Test matches for India with an average of 31.29 accounting for 532 runs, and 17 wickets. In ODIs, he has scored 1769 runs in 86 matches with an average of 34.01 and a strike rate of 110.35. As for T20 Internationals, Hardik has featured in 92 matches, scoring 1348 runs with an average of 25.43 and a strike rate of 139.83, alongside 73 wickets.
Then there's Rinku Singh, included as a reserve for the World Cup. Despite a lackluster IPL season, Rinku has been groomed by the Indian team for T20 in recent months. The question remains why the standards for selection seem different between him and Hardik.
As for Ravi Bishnoi, his exclusion is curious given his ICC T20 ranking. His last T20 match for India saw a stellar performance against Afghanistan, where his bowling in a double Super Over led to an Indian victory.
The Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024 consists of a mix of experienced and upcoming talents. The reserves include promising players like Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khalil Ahmed, and Avesh Khan, ready to step up if needed.
