Former Indian cricketer and current commentator, Aakash Chopra, underscores the pivotal role of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in India’s World Cup campaign.
In a discussion on JioCinema’s daily sports show ‘#AAKASHVANI,’ Aakash Chopra expressed concerns about India’s dependence on Hardik Pandya, particularly given Ravindra Jadeja’s recent struggles with the bat.
“I am a bit worried that India is too dependent on Hardik Pandya. There is no other player like him in the squad – nobody bowls in the top 6. Ravindra Jadeja can play at No. 7, but his batting form hasn’t been great lately. Also, Pandya is the only batting all-rounder in the team, and Shardul Thakur isn’t – he can’t bat at No. 6. Hence, I believe that Hardik Pandya is critical to team India’s success in the World Cup,” stated Aakash Chopra.
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Aakash also expressed some concerns about Hardik Pandya’s recent form, given his limited 50-over cricket exposure after recovering from an injury, which might affect his performance.
“Another reason why I am worried about this is the fact that he did not play the last three ODIs against Australia, and the warm-up matches did not happen. He has not played a lot of cricket – he played in the Asia Cup final and took a couple of wickets but could not bat, and the last two fixtures against Pakistan were not too significant in terms of his performance. So, there might be a chance he might not be at his best in his first game in Chennai.”
India is set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Australia at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
-IANS
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