Rayudu reckons Hardik and Dube are not competing for the same spot. As per Rayudu, Dube is being looked at as India’s No. 4.

Mumbai: With roughly a week to go for the announcement of India’s T20 World Cup squad, there are speculations over Hardik Pandya’s spot in the side as his form has not been upto the mark with the bat and the ball. There are talks that Shivam Dube could be preferred over Hardik, but eventually – what happens – remains to be seen. Amid all these speculations, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu has explained the situation. Rayudu reckons Hardik and Dube are not competing for the same spot. As per Rayudu, Dube is being looked at as India’s No. 4.

“Both of them are not competing for the same spot. Hardik and Jadeja are finishers in the Indian team, and Dube is the kind of batter who comes in at No. 4 or 5. When the spinners are operating and conditions are slow, he can hit boundaries and accelerate to change the game. But between overs 16 and 20, Dube’s strike rate isn’t that high, he fails to hit that many runs. So I feel Hardik and Jadeja have that role in the Indian team,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.

What has not gone in favour of Hardik is that he has manages merely 151 runs across his eight appearances. Even with his bowling, he has not been able to make an impact. His poor form is also affecting his captaincy at the IPL. He would be hoping he can turn things around before BCCI makes the big announcement.

India’s Predicted Squad:

Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma. /Sanju Samson (WK), Ravi Bishnoi