Dubai: It was heartbreak as Team India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss against Pakistan in their T20 WC opener. Now, with their backs to the wall – they would have to beat New Zealand to keep their semis hopes alive. Ex-Pakistan opener Salman Butt reckoned that Hardik Pandya should be dropped for the fixture as he has ‘mental barriers’ due to his fitness.
Butt feels India should not sweat over the ‘concern areas’ and focus more on Shardul Thakur – who is fit and in form. He reckoned with a solid bench strength that India have, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Chahar could also be good choices.
“Strategically, it will be better. Hardik Pandya is a capable all-rounder. I saw him play some very good knocks in Australia, but the guy is not fit. In such a scenario, you ensure not to put too much pressure on your problem areas. And so your (bowling) action is not complete. This affects your output and speed because you are trying to be more careful not to hurt yourself again. There are mental barriers until you are 100 per cent fit. So if Pandya is not completely fit to bowl, India can opt for Shardul Thakur and there is Rahul Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin as well,” Butt noted on his YouTube channel.
With New Zealand having a superior record against India, it promises to be a humdinger. In the 2019 WC, NZ beat India in the semis. In 2021, they again beat India in the inaugural World Test Championship final. NZ would be confident when they take on India in a must-win game on Sunday.
