Former India cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Sanjay Bangar have praised all-rounder Hardik Pandya and backed him to do well in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. India has been placed in Group A with Ireland, the USA, Canada, and Pakistan.
India will play Ireland in their tournament opener on June 5 in New York. India has already played a warmup match at the venue against Bangladesh.
Following a disappointing IPL season, Pandya's status as an all-rounder and captain came under scrutiny. However, Manjrekar is confident that the selectors made the correct decision in selecting him for the T20 World Cup.
"I have been repeatedly saying, even before this match [warm-up match against Bangladesh], if you see Hardik Pandya's performances in World Cups, he played the all-rounder's role very well in the 2019 World Cup. He had a main performance in the India-Pakistan match on the big stage, and see his performance with the bat in the semi-final India lost in Adelaide; he scored 60 runs at a strike rate of 190,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
Manjrekar also suggested that the IPL struggles were more about external pressures and environmental factors.
"What happened in the IPL was a slight temperamental issue because he was feeling the pressure from outside. The environment might not have been good. I am not at all surprised that he will feel slightly relaxed and relieved after donning India's and not the Mumbai Indians' blues. He has the ability, and I am repeatedly saying that he is a big-match player," he added.
Sanjay Bangar, former India opener and batting coach, agreed with Manjrekar’s words and emphasized that Hardik's past performances for India should be the focus, not his recent IPL form.
"You should definitely see what he has done for India. His record in World Cup cricket is exceptional. Whether he is playing Test cricket, 50-over, or 20-over format for India, he has given fantastic performances in all three formats," Bangar stated.
Bangar also noted that injuries have impacted Pandya's career, but his contributions when fit have been significant.
"There was a phase in the middle for sure where he got injured and because of that, he couldn't play much, but whenever he comes, the Indian team's balance becomes much better," he said.
