The Mumbai Indians' (MI) IPL 2024 season was largely dominated by the controversy surrounding Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, drawing criticism for their individual performances and their influence on the team's dynamics.
Nevertheless, former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody has expressed his confidence in both the players to rediscover their form before the T20 World Cup, which kicks off on June 2nd.
"I wouldn't be overly concerned with Rohit Sharma's form at this stage. When it comes to representing his country for major events like an ICC World Cup, I see the experience of Rohit Sharma as invaluable, not just with the bat but as the captain as well," Moody, who is on the Star Sports panel of commentators for IPL 2024, told IANS in an exclusive chat.
"When it comes to form for players like Rohit Sharma, the way the event is structured, there’re a number of games in the group stage for players to find some form against less competitive sides.
"When it comes to individual form or team form momentum can be captured quite early and then the team will be peaking at the right time when it comes to the back end of the tournament," he said.
On the flip side, Hardik has experienced a turbulent season, starting with jeers at the Narendra Modi Stadium during their inaugural match against his former team, the Gujarat Titans.
Hardik joined Mumbai Indians before the start of this season and replaced Rohit as the team's captain -- a decision that didn't go down well with the fans.
The 30-year-old all-rounder's batting performance has taken a downturn, averaging just 18.18 runs compared to 31.45 in the previous edition. Additionally, his bowling figures are concerning, with an economy rate of 10.59 marking his poorest performance in the tournament across the ten years he has participated.
"Same answer as Rohit. They’re both having challenging times when it comes to their franchise and Hardik is obviously a critical part of that side because in ICC events you don’t have impact players, so your allrounders are important when it comes to creating balance in your playing XI. I am sure Hardik Pandya will benefit from those early games, getting some sort of momentum and confidence back into his game, more so with the bat than ball.
"In recent games he has found some sort of rhythm and form with the ball in hand. T20 can be quite a fickle format when it comes to batting in the middle order or as a player who comes in the back end of the innings. I am sure he will have his moments in those first few games to recapture some sort of form into his batting," added Moody.
Also See: T20 WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
(With IANS inputs)
