Hyderabad: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on Friday made a sensational statement on Hardik Pandya's selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup saying that so much priority should not be given to the Baroda all-rounder, which has been given to him in the past by the Indian Cricket Team.
The statement was made by Irfan Pathan during the Star Sports Press Room in the presence of former India cricketer K Srikkanth and former Australian cricketers Tom Moody and Matthew Hayden.
Responding to a question, 39-year-old Vadodara-born Irfan, who has played 120 ODIs, said, "Do not give Hardik Pandya so much priority which Indian team has given him in the past."
Earlier, Pathan had mentioned that the all-rounder has a lot of experience playing in the IPL and for India in T20Is.
"He is not a newbie, he has been playing for so many years. If he is not going to use his own experience and be smart about it, he will be found out and that is what is happening right now," Pathan said on April 15.
Since taking over the leadership role at Mumbai Indians (MI) from one of the most successful skippers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Rohit Sharma, Hardik has faced immense scrutiny due to his underwhelming performances with both bat and ball and his decision as skipper. He didn't play any competitive cricket except one private tournament held in Navi Mumbai due to an ankle injury before coming into the cash-rich league.
Pandya sustained the injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup in a match against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.
The exponential dip in Pandya's form has led to discussions about his place in India's squad for the T20 World Cup. One of the glaring issues plaguing Pandya is his lack of significant contributions with the bat. Pandya’s numbers have been disappointing, especially when you look at him as India's finisher in the marquee tournament.
He has scored only 151 runs in eight IPL matches at an average of 21.57 and a strike rate of 142.45.
The 30-year-old failed to stabilise the innings bringing himself up the order, which he used to do for Gujarat Titans, his former franchise, but couldn't finish the games which is expected from a player of his calibre. His boundary-per-ball ratio is notably high, indicating a struggle to convert starts into substantial scores. This inability to finish games was evident in critical moments, where Pandya fell short of guiding his team to victory.
Despite being the captain of Mumbai Indians, Pandya has not settled himself into a specific batting position. He has batted from number four to number seven and on many occasions where the team needed him to accelerate at a strike rate of 200+, he ended up scoring runs at a strike rate of 120 ongoing IPL season.
His 24 off 20 balls innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is the perfect example of his struggle. Notably, every other batter from the teams smashed runs at a 180+ strike rate in the record-breaking encounter. This inconsistency in adapting to different batting scenarios and finding boundaries at regular intervals is a serious concern.
In another post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pathan slammed Pandya for his batting approach as well after the game against SRH. "If the whole team is playing with the strike rate of 200, Captain can't bat with the batting strike rate of 120," Pathan said.
Additionally, Pandya's dismal performances against spinners raise doubts about his effectiveness in the middle overs as well, where spinners often play a crucial role. His performance against spinners has significantly declined since 2020, with a strike rate of 126.48 in the last 5 years.
Turning to his bowling, Pandya has bowled a mere 17 overs in eight IPL matches, averaging just 2 overs per clash. His economy rate of 10.94 and only 4 wickets highlight his struggles on the bowling front. In the Indian setup, Pandya's role as a third or fourth seamer is crucial for providing balance and allowing the captain to opt for an extra spinner. However, his inconsistency with the ball raises legitimate concerns about his selection based on his current performance.
Before this season, the right-hand medium pacer used to share the new ball with Gujarat Titans pace spearhead Mohammed Shami. However, he hasn't been able to fulfil that role. He tried to bring himself into the attack in the death overs as well, but then MS Dhoni's brisk 20 off five balls in the final over at Wankhede Stadium gave him the reality check. He even failed to stop the flow of runs in the middle overs as well.
In such a situation, the emergence of Shivam Dube as a standout performer in the IPL further complicates Pandya's situation. Dube's consistent batting performances and potential bowling skills make him a strong contender to replace Hardik, not just in India's T20 World Cup squad, but even in the playing XI.
Read More
- Hardik Is Not a Newbie, Needs to Adapt, Use His Experience or Will Be Found Out: Irfan Pathan
- 'Ordinary to Say the Least, Can't Bat at 120 SR', Irfan Pathan Slams MI Skipper Hardik Pandya
