IPL 2024: ‘Bowl in Every Match for Mumbai Indians’ – Rohit Sharma Sets Condition for Hardik Pandya’s T20 World Cup Selection

In the midst of IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma is said to have held discussions with Team India head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai regarding the T20 World Cup squad.

According to a report from The Indian Express, the gathering took place at the BCCI headquarters last week, and a key decision regarding Hardik Pandya was agreed upon.

The trio decided that Hardik Pandya will only be picked for the T20 World Cup 2024 if he consistently bowls in the ongoing IPL 2024.

The meeting stretched over two hours, with a considerable portion dedicated to deliberating on the selection of fast-bowling all-rounders India intends to include for the T20 showpiece tournament, set to be co-hosted by the USA and Caribbean islands this June.

Shivam Dube Over Hardik Pandya for T20 World Cup?

However, the selectors are facing a shortage of top-tier choices, even as they closely monitor Shivam Dube’s stellar batting performance this season.

Despite his impactful contributions as an Impact Player for Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions have yet to tap into Dube’s right-arm medium pace bowling, given their surplus of options.

However, Pandya, serving as the captain of Mumbai Indians this season, has faced challenges with his bowling performance. Despite claiming three wickets in six games, he has only bowled 11 overs, raising concerns about his economy rate, which presently sits at 12 runs per over.

Additionally, former cricketers have also suggested that Hardik Pandya may be hiding an injury. However, one thing is certain: moving forward in the tournament, Hardik Pandya needs to bowl more to enhance his chances of being selected for the T20 World Cup 2024.