Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), recently shared some thoughts on the selection of Hardik Pandya for India’s T20 World Cup squad.
Jay Shah revealed that players were not selected solely based on IPL 2024 performance. Despite being designated as the vice-captain, Hardik Pandya’s contributions as a player and leader were subpar, with only 200 runs and 11 wickets in 13 matches, coupled with a high economy rate of 10.59.
Interestingly, Pandya’s selection over players like Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh raised eyebrows, especially given his underwhelming form. Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI chief selector, clarified in a press conference that Pandya’s inclusion was necessitated by a dearth of pace-bowling all-rounders in the national team.
Shah’s revelation underscores the significance of the ongoing IPL as a platform for talent showcase. However, he reiterated that the selectors cannot solely rely on IPL performances when assembling the World Cup squad.
“The selectors can’t choose based on IPL performance alone, as overseas experience is also necessary,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Times of India.
“We did well at the last ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, but the final victory eluded us. I am optimistic that we will bring home the T20 World Cup trophy this year,” he further added.
Shah pointed out India, Australia, New Zealand, and the host nation, West Indies, as the ones to keep an eye on when discussing potential contenders. He highlighted their expertise in the shortest form of cricket as the reason behind their prominence. “India, Australia, New Zealand and the hosts, West Indies, because they are good in T20,” Shah further added.
The BCCI secretary also reassured that they’re listening to the concerns voiced by both past and current cricketers about the IPL’s impact player rule. They emphasized that they’re actively engaging with all involved parties and are willing to tweak the rules if needed.
“It’s a test case. We are consulting players, franchisees, and all concerned. I feel the matches are getting more interesting, more Indian players are getting a chance to play. If our consultations reveal dissatisfaction, we will change it,” he concluded.
India Squad For World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
