(ANI Photo)
Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently shared his thoughts on the performance of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya as India gears up for the T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA. Ganguly expressed his confidence in both players’ abilities to excel in the upcoming ICC tournaments, which kick off on June 1.
In Group A of the T20 World Cup, India finds itself alongside Pakistan, the USA, Ireland, and Canada. Rohit Sharma’s squad will commence their campaign against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5. It’s noteworthy that all of India’s group-stage matches will be held in the USA.
Rohit Sharma Is A Great Of The Game – Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly reassured that he harbors no worries regarding Rohit Sharma’s form leading into the imminent tournament. The ex-Indian captain underscored Rohit’s track record, particularly citing his impressive showings in the ODI World Cup. Ganguly affirmed his belief in Rohit’s capability to replicate success in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
“No, I am not worried. Rohit is a great of the game, and if you see what he did in the 50-over World Cup, I am confident he will do that again. At this level, form is about a couple of games when you have that kind of quality. So, I am not worried about Rohit. He has scored runs across the world and has played a lot of cricket and will surely do the job expected of him,” Ganguly told Revsportz.
Hardik Pandya Doesn’t Play That Much Cricket – Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly voiced apprehensions regarding Hardik Pandya’s sparse playing opportunities. The 51-year-old stressed the significance of Pandya engaging in regular matches to regain his form and deliver strong performances.
“Hardik is different because he doesn’t play that much cricket, and that’s a worry. I want him to consistently play cricket, for only then can he hit a rich vein of form. I would want him to do so, and it can only happen if he plays a lot more cricket,” Gangly added.
Hardik Pandya struggled to leave a mark both on the field and in a leadership role during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Despite stepping in as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain after Rohit Sharma’s absence, Pandya failed to replicate his previous successes. The team managed only four victories out of 14 matches, finishing at the bottom of the table.
Rohit Sharma’s performance for the five-time IPL champions fluctuated throughout the season. Initially, the right-handed batsman started strongly but encountered difficulties in the latter part of the tournament. Rohit concluded the season with 417 runs in 14 matches, maintaining an average of 32.07 and a strike rate of 150. This included a century and a half-century.
Unfortunately, Hardik Pandya fell short of expectations in the recently concluded season. Despite his efforts, the 30-year-old managed to score only 216 runs in 14 matches, averaging 18 with a strike rate of 143.05. As a right-arm pacer, he secured 11 wickets at an average of 35.18 and an economy rate of 10.75, with his best bowling figures standing at 3/31.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Traveling Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.
