For the home side, the absence of skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who has been sidelined for a week to 10 days due to a shoulder injury, will put more pressure on the non-performing top order to come of age, and rub off the dust from their bats.
The Statesman understands that the selectors will be looking at adding balance to the side, and in the current scenario, Dube’s stats make him an automatic choice over Pandya, who has been struggling ever since his return to action.
Pollard rated Pandya as one of the great “all-rounders” India has ever produced, and believed that fans will ‘sing praises for him’ soon.
A contest against a floundering RCB could not only bring about their second successive win but also provide them the cushion of confidence, before facing defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
When Mumbai Indians kicked off their IPL 2024 campaign in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans, the team that Hardik led for the past couple of seasons, and took them to two finals, besides winning the 2022 edition, the fans booed Hardik,
Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 title, will captain India in absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. The 35-year-old Sharma along with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami, Rishabh Pant and others will be in England for the rescheduled 5th Test, when another Indian squad will play T20Is in Ireland.
Taking into account the way Pandya led Gujarat Titans throughout IPL 2022, former India star Sanjay Manjrekar sees shades of former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his leadership.
The Titans took the IPL trophy to the important roads of the City, to show it to their fans, who could watch the team triumph at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday, beating Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets.
Solanki added that Pandya's cricket is more about passion and entertainment, which made him the automatic choice to lead the Gujarat Titans.
Summing up the team's maiden journey in IPL 2022, where the side first topped the league phase and then set up a title clash with Rajasthan Royals, Pandya gave almost the entire credit for the success to head coach and former Indian pace bowler Ashish Nehra.
