Mumbai: A recent report claimed that Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had met during the ongoing IPL to discuss plans for India’s campaign in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
It was reported that among the key issues discussed was Hardik Pandya’s form and whether he should be considered for the World Cup squad. The team’s thinktank apparently felt that Pandya should bowl regularly to press his claims for World Cup selection.
Team India need Pandya the allrounder, but the Mumbai Indians captain has been in indifferent form in the IPL so far – bot with bat and ball.
His top score in 7 matches is 39, while he hasn’t bowled regularly, leaking runs at over 12 per over with only three wickets against his name.
A debate on whether Pandya deserves to be in the squad for the T20 World Cup – to be co-hosted by the West indies and USA from June 1 to 29 – sounds fair enough.
However, Rohit – who was replaced as Mumbai captain by Pandya but will lead India in World Cup – rubbished reports of him meeting Dravid and Agarkar.
Calling the claims ‘fake’, Rohit warned fans against believing anything that is not coming directly from him, Agarkar, Dravid or the BCCI.
“I haven’t met anyone. Ajit Agarkar is somewhere in Dubai playing golf and Rahul Dravid is actually watching his kids play in Bengaluru. He (Dravid) was in Mumbai but he got him (the son) to play on a red-soil wicket at CCI. That’s about it,” Rohit revealed while speaking on Club Prairie Fire podcast.
“We haven’t met, to be honest. I think in today’s day and age, unless you hear it from either myself or Rahul himself or Ajit himself or someone from BCCI coming and talking in front of the camera, everything is fake,” he added.
The deadline for naming the squad for T20 World Cup is May 1.
