Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya set aside any lingering controversy from their Mumbai Indians stint as they engaged in a competitive duel during practice sessions ahead of India’s T20 World Cup match against Ireland.

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Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma took their initial stride towards aligning their efforts in the shared pursuit of leading India to victory in the World Cup.

One of the primary concerns surrounding the Indian team, apart from strategizing for the T20 World Cup, centered on their two seasoned cricketers and team leaders. Recent months have posed challenges for Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. Their performances in IPL 2024 were inconsistent, with Mumbai Indians finishing at the bottom of the table. Additionally, Rohit lost his captaincy, while Hardik faced criticism from fans, both on and off the field, following the franchise’s unexpected decisions. Moreover, speculation during the IPL season hinted at discord between Hardik and Rohit, leading to a divided atmosphere within the MI dressing room.

As India prepares to commence their T20 World Cup journey on Wednesday, led by Rohit with Hardik as his deputy, head coach Rahul Dravid faces the challenge of helping the duo move past the Mumbai Indians saga. However, signs of progress emerged as Hardik was seen bowling at full intensity against Rohit during Monday’s net session, indicating their initial stride towards aligning their efforts for India’s World Cup victory.

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan advised Rahul Dravid not to broach the topic of IPL in the dressing room regarding the Hardik-Rohit situation. Instead, he suggested focusing on instilling a sense of belief in Hardik regarding his significance in the team lineup and India’s potential to succeed in the T20 World Cup tournament.

“I will not even discuss this. Whatever happened has happened. I will just say that this is my expectation from you: I want you to win matches for India. This is the roadmap, and you are an important part of the team and a match-winner. Being an all-rounder, I will say he will play a crucial role. How many fast bowlers have we taken? Just three specialist bowlers, besides Hardik and Shivam Dube. So when the time comes, these 3-4 overs will become very crucial. Remember, he will allow us to play an extra spinner in West Indies when we play day games. So this is where he comes into the picture, he needs to feel good and believe that he can make a contribution and hence the conversation of the IPL should not be even happening even once,” Pathan told Star Sports.

Following their victory against Bangladesh in the warm-up game at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday, this marked India’s initial practice session. The Men in Blue secured a comfortable 60-run win in that encounter. The subsequent day saw India granted a rest as Sri Lanka and South Africa utilized the practice venue at Cantiague Park for their World Cup opener on Monday.