T20 World Cup: Sunil Gavaskar Backs Hardik Pandya to Shine for India

Hardik Pandya hasn’t been at his best in the Indian Premier League season – be it with the bat, the ball or even as a leader. The Mumbai Indians captain has scored 197 runs in 10 matches and taken just six wickets as his team is ranked ninth. Sunil Gavaskar feels there is no reason to worry too much about Pandya’s form in the T20 World Cup, saying the all-rounder will be a ‘different player’ in the national colours.

Pandya has been appointed as the vice-captain in the 15-member World Cup squad announced on Tuesday.

India squad for T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice captain), Yashwi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khalil Ahmed and Avesh Khan

“There is a big difference between playing in the IPL and playing for your country. Playing for your country brings out something different in every player and Hardik Pandya will be a different player,” Gavaskar said on Sports Today. “He faced a lot of problems in this particular tournament (IPL), he has handled it well. When he goes abroad and plays for India, I think he will be in a completely different mindset. “And it will be a more positive mindset than what we’ve seen here in this tournament. So, Hardik Pandya will contribute in this tournament with both bat and ball,” he added. Pandya is leading MI this season, after a stunning comeback from Gujarat Titans, a franchise he captained for two seasons.

Gavaskar has no doubt that Rohit Sharma-led India will do well in the marquee event and that the team has the potential to bring back the World Cup. “I don’t know the reason, but this Indian team looks like a very good team, no question about it. He’s got a lot of experience, they’ve got some real big hitters, they’ve got variety in the bowling as well,” he said. “They are title contenders, without question. At the international level, sometimes you need luck and if this Indian team has that much luck, I am very confident that after 2007 (Victory), the T20 World Cup will come back to India. added Gavaskar felt that IPL 2024 would stand the Indian players in good stead for the T20I showpiece in June.

“They will go with a good rhythm (after the IPL); The bowlers would have bowled quite a few overs, the batsmen would have had enough time in the middle, some of them would have scored 80, 90 and 100 runs,” Gavaskar said. “So, obviously, this team will go with that short break… a week break (between the conclusion of the IPL and the start of the World Cup). With that little break, they will be a little fresher, but not rusty at the same time,” he added.