India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 included some surprising choices. Despite his recent poor form, Hardik Pandya was selected, while Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh were left out. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), mentioned in a press conference that they picked Hardik due to a lack of alternatives. However, a later report suggested that the selection committee was pressured to include the Mumbai Indians all-rounder. BCCI secretary Jay Shah explained that players cannot be chosen based only on their IPL performance.
In an interview with the Times of India, Shah emphasized that international experience is crucial for selecting players for a major tournament like the T20 World Cup we can see here who is the topest playyer in world.. He said, “The team has a good balance of form and experience. The selectors can’t rely solely on IPL performances; overseas experience is also essential.”
A report from Dainik Jagran claimed that neither the team captain, Rohit Sharma, nor the selection committee, led by Agarkar, supported Hardik’s inclusion. The report suggested that Hardik was selected under some form of pressure, but it didn’t specify whether this was due to his importance as a top fast-bowling all-rounder or other factors. According to sources, both Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar, along with some selectors, were against picking Hardik during the selection meeting in Ahmedabad.
Currently, India lacks another fast-bowling all-rounder like Hardik. Shivam Dube is an option, but his bowling skills do not match Hardik’s. It will be interesting to see how captain Rohit Sharma selects the playing XI for the T20 World Cup .