New Delhi, Feb 21 – Former India cricketer and national selector Jatin Paranjape believes that Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will be key assets for the defending champions in their Super Eights campaign against South Africa in Ahmedabad, starting on Sunday.
In the league matches, Bumrah has taken four wickets with an economy rate of six and a strike rate of 13.5. Hardik has also scored 87 runs with a batting strike-rate of 155 and taken five wickets with an economy rate of 7.9. Hardik also had a great all-round performance, scoring 52 and taking 2-28, when India beat Namibia in New Delhi earlier this month.
"Hardik Pandya is the key player for this Indian team. Without him, the team is not as strong as it is with him. Hardik's performance over the last year shows that he is very focused. He is not letting any external pressure affect him."
"He has also faced many personal challenges. But he is a player who has improved significantly in all aspects – batting, bowling, fielding, and fitness. Therefore, Hardik is crucial for India's success," Paranjape said.
Due to his experience captaining the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Hardik is well-prepared for the conditions and the size of the ground in Ahmedabad. This is reflected in his performance, where he scored 470 runs in 19 T20I innings in Ahmedabad, with a strike-rate of 142.
In the last year's final T20I against South Africa at the same venue, Hardik scored 63 off 25 balls as India won the series 4-1. Given that India has struggled against spin, with 11 wickets falling to off-spinners – the highest in the tournament – Hardik will be expected to play a crucial role.
Hardik and Bumrah have also contributed to India having the best economy rate (7) and the second-best bowling average (15.4) in this competition.
"Along with Hardik, I also believe that Jasprit Bumrah will be in top form. I have seen him, he is looking fitter, he has lost weight, and he is in excellent shape. These are the tournaments where players like him and Hardik can perform at their best," Paranjape added.
"Therefore, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah will be crucial for India. If India wants to win the World Cup, both these players need to be in top form," concluded Paranjape, who is also a co-founder of KheloMore and a member of the BCCI Cricket Advisory Committee.
Although India enters the Super Eights as the only unbeaten team from Group A, they will face other strong teams, including South Africa, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. "Everyone expects India to win the T20 World Cup easily, but I don't think it will be easy because the Super Eights will be competitive."
"I think India is creating a significant gap between themselves and the other teams going into the Super Eights. The first game is against South Africa, but I think, regardless of the opposition, this Indian team looks very strong, despite the recent struggles of Abhishek Sharma," added Paranjape.
Although Abhishek Sharma is yet to score a significant number of runs in the World Cup, especially considering his recent illness, his opening partnership with Rohit Sharma has averaged only 8.5. However, Dube has added significant depth to India's batting lineup by accelerating his scoring tempo in recent months, as seen during his match-winning fifty against the Netherlands earlier this week.
Till the end of the 2024 World Cup, Dube's strike rate against pace and spin stands at 134 and 172 respectively. Post the tournament, where he was a member of the winning Indian team, these numbers have spiked dramatically to 183 against spin.
"Shivam Dube is really impressing me with his approach in the middle overs, and his ability to hit sixes is second to none in world cricket. He is also in fantastic form," Paranjape concluded.
