India's T20 WC Squad: 5 Reasons Why Hardik Pandya Doesn't Deserve To Be Part of It

Hardik Pandya's inclusion in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad has become a matter of concern for the selectors and there are several reasons behind it, the first being his form. Hardik's return from injury as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain didn't make the fans happy. On top of that, MI's performance in this IPL season has declined as well. Neither the batters are scoring runs, nor the bowlers are defending the targets. 

Moreover, Hardik's captaincy is also questioned in this process considering his constant attempts to side-line Rohit Sharma during live games. Currently, Hardik is also bowling in the powerplays keeping Jasprit Bumrah away from bowling in the first over which is again infuriating the crowd. These reasons might be add-ons to Hardik Pandya's dismissal from the T20 WC squad.

Let's take a look at five reasons why Hardik Pandya's chances in the T20 WC Indian squad seem less ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024:

1. Declining power-hitting capability 

Hardik Pandya was known to be one of the best strikers of the ball. However, post-injury, his batting performance has gone down drastically. IPL was the first tournament he played after being injured in the ODI World Cup 2023 and people were hoping to see him perform to play in the T20 World Cup. Although he is still the selector's first choice if he fails to perform in the upcoming matches, he might be dropped from the World Cup squad. 

2. Struggling too much against spin

Since the matches will be in the Caribbean and the US, the pitches might not be as perfect as India's pitches. Mostly, slow spin-friendly pitches will be expected in the T20 World Cup. Hardik is struggling to play spin bowling in the ongoing IPL 0224. If this continues, then there will be no point taking him to foreign countries as India will need a reliable middle-order batter who can build the innings and form stable partnerships. 

3. Worst bowling returns in the ongoing IPL

Apart from being a batter, Hardik is a full-time medium pacer. In the past, he was a very valuable bowler who gave important breakthroughs to the team. He was an expert in breaking partnerships and never allowed the newcomers to settle down. However, things seem to be different this year. While he bowls during powerplays and the death overs, he is getting hit by the batters as his line and length are mostly wrong. This might be an issue for India and the selectors will definitely try to avoid this. He needs to bowl well to get a place in the squad. 

4. Not an MVP anymore as an all-rounder

Hardik was preferred more than any other player because of his all-round skills. Since his performance as an all-rounder has dripped, there's no point in keeping him ahead of everyone else. Currently, India lacks a full-time all-rounder who can bat and bowl medium pace in all matches. Hence, Hardik was the safest option. However, considering his condition, the selectors should look for someone else in his place.

5. Rise of potential options like Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy

Hardik Pandya has some solid competition for the T20 World Cup in the likes of Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy. Both players have shown their potential with the bat scoring beautiful half-centuries for their respective teams, CSK and SRH. However, Shivam hasn't gotten a chance to bowl in the IPL because of the Impact sub-rule. If he manages to bowl well during the later stage of the IPL 2024, he might get an upper edge over Hardik. The same goes with Nitish Reddy, but he's quite inexperienced as of now so the selectors might keep him out of selection.