Decoding Hardik Pandya's IPL 2024 performance and why he might be dropped from T20 WC

The countdown for the T20 World Cup has already started as all participant teams look to make their mark on the tournament starting on June 1. Team Indiawill be no stranger to the occasion as they will walk into the T20 World Cup as one of the favourites to win the title.With almost a month to go for the T20 World Cup, the anticipationsurrounding the inclusion ofHardik Pandya has stolen the spotlight in the Indian cricketfraternityas reports suggest he couldbe droppedfrom the squad.

Why is Hardik Pandya at risk of being axed?

Not long ago, Hardik was someone who could not be easily dropped from the T20 squad owing to his impressive performance for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the last two seasons. Besides his on-field performance, it was his leadership ability that saw him being handed the vice-captaincy in the format.But now he sits on the brink of exit from the Indian side, with the likes ofShivam Dube and Rinku Singh waiting on the sidelines to replace him.

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In nine IPL matches sofar, Hardik has scored 197 runs, which includes10sixes, while averaging a mere 24.63. When compared to Shivam Mavi, Hardik is nowhere near the Chennai Super Kings finisher who has scored 350 runs in the same number of matches.Mavi has hit three fifties compared to Hardik’s nonewhile averaginga massive 58.33.

When it comes tobowling, Hardik is nowhere closeto his best and has scalped four wickets during the same time. His economy of 11.95 against opposition batters makes him more vulnerable. Considering he will be facing the same players in the international outfit in a month,this does not help him at all. While Mavi is not a specialist all-rounder, Hardik Pandya’s presence in the Playing XI doesn't benefit the Indian team in any way as he is no longer an asset with bat and ball.

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Poor leadership in IPL 2024

Hardik’s poor performances in IPL 2024 havebeen rounded offby Mumbai Indians’ horrible show on the field. In his maiden season as captain of the MI side, Hardik’s side has won only three matches and lost threematchesin a row at the start of the season. Considering the current scenario, the team management might bereluctant to rely on his services.

With Hardik no longer a reliable asset and the emergence of options like Shivam Mavi, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Karthik as pinch-hitters, it won’t be a surprise if Hardikis droppedfrom Team India.