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Can Shivam Dube Replace Hardik Pandya In The World Cup XI?

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have both been selected for India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Dube has been having a stellar season in IPL 2024, while Hardik Pandya has not been at his best. This has caused many to question if Hardik Pandya’s spot in the starting lineup is in danger and if Shivam Dube can replace him. In this article, we go over various stats to see if there is any truth in the statement that Dube is outperforming Hardik Pandya, and if that is the case, then if Dube can replace Pandya in the World Cup starting lineup.

Hardik Pandya Vs Shivam Dube IPL 2024 Performance

Hardik Pandya has not had the best performances in IPL 2024. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube has been phenomenal for the Chennai Super Kings. So, how do their stats compare to each other?

Batting Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	11	11
Runs	198	350
Balls	134	205
Outs	10	8
Average	19.8	43.8
Strike Rate	147.8	170.7
Highest Score	46	66
4s	16	24
6s	10	26
Dot Percentage	33.60%	33.70%

 

Bowling Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	10	1
Overs	31	1
Runs	328	14
Wickets	11	1
Economy	10.58	14
Average	29.8	14
Strike Rate	16.9	6

 

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have played the same number of games, but it is clearly Dube who comes out on top. He scored 350 runs compared to Pandya’s 198 runs. He is batting with an impressive average of 43.8, while Pandya’s average is as low as 19.8. Even when it comes to finishing, Dube is striking at a rate of 170.7 compared to Pandya, who is going at 147.8. All of these statistics show that Dube has been a much better finisher than Pandya in IPL 2024.

After their respective IPL campaigns, who is better suited to be the finisher for India at the T20 World Cup?#HardikPandya #ShivamDube #IPL2024 #T20WorldCup24 #T20WorldCup #T20WC

— Gutshot Magazine (@GutshotMagazine) May 9, 2024

When it comes to bowling, however, Dube has a very small dataset on which to judge. He has bowled just one over in IPL 2024. While he did end up picking a wicket, judging his bowling on such little data is impossible. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, bowled 31 overs. He has picked up 11 wickets at an economy of 10.58. While his bowling has not been extraordinary, he has bowled regularly and can be a very good bowling option for India at the T20 World Cup.

Hardik Pandya Vs Shivam Dube Last 2 Years

If you move beyond IPL 2024 and see how both the players have been performing since January 2023, will that change anything? Has Hardik Pandya’s form only dipped recently? How has Shivam Dube performed for India? These answers can be found in the tables below.

Hardik Pandya Vs Shivam Dube T20 Stats (Since January 2023)

Batting Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	26	28
Runs	544	844
Balls	387	544
Outs	21	21
Average	25.9	40.2
Strike Rate	140.6	155.1
Highest Score	66	66
4s	42	43
6s	25	62
Dot Percentage	32.00%	32.40%

 

Bowling Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	21	2
Overs	56	4
Runs	556	22
Wickets	14	2
Economy	9.93	5.5
Average	39.7	11
Strike Rate	24	12

 

Hardik Pandya Vs Shivam Dube T20I Stats (Since January 2023)

Batting Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	10	5
Runs	188	171
Balls	170	112
Outs	8	1
Average	23.5	171
Strike Rate	110.6	152.7
Highest Score	30	63
4s	15	12
6s	7	9
Dot Percentage	40.00%	25.90%

 

Bowling Stats	Hardik Pandya	Shivam Dube
Innings	11	8
Overs	35	15
Runs	255	144
Wickets	11	3
Economy	7.29	9.6
Average	23.2	48
Strike Rate	19.1	30

As you can see from the above tables, Shivam Dube has been outperforming Hardik Pandya with that bat since January 2023. Whether it be in T20s or in games for India in T20Is, Dube has simply been better. Dube has played 28 T20s and scored 844 runs at an average of 40.2 and a strike rate of 155.1. Pandya, on the other hand, has scored just 544 runs in 26 innings at an average of 25.9 and a strike rate of 140.6.

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ALSO READ: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Format

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This trend seems to continue when speaking about T20Is for India. Hardik Pandya has played double the innings of Shivam Dube but gets beaten out by the latter when it comes to performance. Pandya has scored 188 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.5 and a strike rate of 110.6. Dube, on the other hand, has 171 runs in just five innings. He also has an average of 171 and a strike rate of 152.7.

Once again, the bowling aspect lets Shivam Dube down. He has bowled just four overs in T20s since the start of 2023. Pandya, on the other hand, bowled 56 overs and picked up 14 wickets. When it comes to India, Dube has bowled a respectable 15 overs and picked up three wickets. However, he gets trumped by Pandya again, who bowled 35 overs and picked up 11 wickets in an economy of 7.29. While Dube is clearly outperforming Hardik Pandya with the bat, Dube has not bowled enough to be an extra bowling option for India.

Is Hardik A Good Bowling Option For India?

Credit: Hindustan Times

The Twenty-Twenty format has become somewhat of a bash fest these days, as can clearly be seen in IPL 2024. The bowlers are suffering as the batsmen are batting with much higher intent. It is precisely due to this that having more than five bowling options has become a necessity.

Hardik Pandya was bowling regularly for India before his injury. Given his performances with the ball since January 2023, India will now hope to see him back in the best bowling form. This is a very important aspect to consider if Hardik Pandya is to start for India in the T20 World Cup.

The Indian all-rounder can end up being a very key bowler for his country. India will mostly start with four bowlers, which means Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya will serve as the fifth and sixth bowlers. As oppositions know this, they will likely be targeted, which is why it is very important that India select their fifth and sixth bowling options carefully. If they are unable to perform, India could find themselves leaking extra runs in every game, which is not ideal for a World Cup.

When a comparison is drawn between Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya, while Dube has been outperforming Pandya with the bat, it is very clear that Hardik Pandya is much ahead when it comes to contributing with the ball. This can end up being one of the biggest factors in Hardik Pandya starting for India ahead of the CSK star in the T20 World Cup.

Can Shivam Dube Be India’s X-Factor Player?

Credit: India TV News

Shivam Dube has been having a stellar campaign in IPL 2024. He has showcased his talents and helped the Chennai Super Kings in different positions. It’s not just the finishing aspect that Dube has been praised for. He had come in when CSK lost important wickets at the start and controlled the innings. He has shown that he can be a good finisher but can also manage the game with controlled hitting if the situation requires it. This can be a huge plus for India.

Dube has also smashed spinners and pacers alike in IPL 2024. He has helped CSK turn certain games on their heads and got them to winning positions. He has also improved his consistency this season. If he finishes his IPL campaign with a high, it will be very hard for India to exclude him from the starting XI. They can use Dube as a floater, sending him in when required to turn a tough situation into a favourable one. Players with such abilities are required to win World Cups, and it will be very interesting to see if India uses Dube at the World Cup.

Can Shivam Dube And Hardik Pandya Start For India Together?

It is not a very far-fetched scenario in which Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya start together for India. While Hardik Pandya looks set to be in the starting lineup, who is to say Shiva Dube cannot start alongside him? If India opts to open their innings with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli instead of using Yashasvi Jaiswal, it is quite likely that Dube will end up in the starting XI as a floater. He can be sent to bat according to the situation in the game.

After reasoning on various aspects, we determine that while Hardik Pandya has been outperformed by the CSK star with the bat, his overall ability is likely to be backed over Dube’s. Hardik Pandya will most likely start most games in the T20 World Cup, and Dube will have to take his opportunities and make an impression if he wants to end up being a regular in India’s starting lineup.

Would Rinku Singh Have Been Better Than Both?

Rinku Singh in T20is for India:

38 (21), 37* (15), 22* (14), 31* (9), 46 (29), 6 (8), 68* (39), 14 (10), 16* (9), 9* (9), 69* (39).

– The heroics of this gunman have been forgotten. 🥲💔 pic.twitter.com/28S8BKWSvL

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 30, 2024

One of the biggest talking points when India released their T20 World Cup squad was the exclusion of Rinku Singh. It seemed like the Kolkata Knight Riders star would surely be in the subs, with some making a case for him to be in the starting XI. However, due to multiple factors, India decided not to include Rinku Singh in their squad, and he was demoted to the reserves.

While Rinku Singh has been mighty impressive for India recently, once again, the matter of bowling comes into question. While Shivam Dube’s bowling has been limited, Rinku Singh is an out-and-out batsman who does not bowl at all. This is one of the biggest reasons for his exclusion from the squad. Another factor to consider is Rinku’s form in IPL 2024. He has not looked at his best, while Dube is having a phenomenal season. Due to these factors, it can be said that Dube being picked over Rinku Singh is a fair decision.

For more news and updates on T20 World Cup, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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