Picture Credit: BCCI
India and Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya is going through a rough phase in his cricketing career at the moment. Ever since he suffered a back injury, he is struggling to regain his old self. He could not perform on the Sri Lanka tour and has only got one game in the second leg of IPL 2021 till now, in which he failed to see his side home.
Pandya’s poor run is now posing threat to his place in the T20 World Cup squad. The selectors showed trust in his abilities and gave him a go but they are now mulling over their decision and have already started looking for alternatives. According to the reports, the two possible names who can replace Pandya in India’s World Cup squad are Shardul Thakur and Shreyas Iyer. The prime concern for the selectors is that Pandya is not bowling his four overs and they can’t include him purely as a batter. Thus, they are looking for someone like Iyer who has returned to form after his shoulder surgery, or Shardul Thakur who can contribute both with bat and ball.
Hardik still has some time to save his place
Although it looks certain that the Baroda all-rounder can be asked to sit on the bench, he has got a few more chances to get back in the groove. Mumbai Indians have still four games left in the league stage and Hardik Pandya is likely to feature in all of them. Pandya will look to make the most out of the limited opportunities he has before him. And, if Mumbai makes it to the knockout stages, he will get a game or two more.
India desperately needs Hardik Pandya to fire as he is the difference for this team. Pandya brings a reputation with him and if he is in the middle, he possesses the ability to destroy any bowler. The 27-year-old has amassed 1888 T20 runs at a strike rate of around 150 and also has 84 wickets under his name.