'They need Hardik Pandya' - Michael Vaughan's strong bet on MI captain for T20 World Cup

As the whole world eagerly waits for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the USA and the West Indies in June, India's squad and team's preparation has become a topic of discussion. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has weighed in on the matter, emphasising the importance of all-rounder Hardik Pandya's presence in the squad for India's chances of lifting the trophy.

The Indian team has been searching for an ICC trophy for over a decade and last lifted an ICC title  2013 Champions Trophy. The upcoming T20 World Cup is a golden opportunity for the side to end their drought and show their dominance in the shortest format of the game. However, Vaughan believes that the team's success depends on the availability and form of Hardik Pandya, who is currently leading the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2024.

Vaughan's comments come at a time when Hardik Pandya has had a rocky start to his captaincy stint with the Mumbai Indians. After losing their first three games, the team has bounced back strongly, winning their last two matches. Pandya, who has been under scrutiny from fans for taking over the captaincy from former skipper Rohit Sharma, has so far scored 129 runs and picked up one wicket in five games.

Also read: With this form, Hardik Pandya won't be picked in the T20 World Cup 2024: Manoj Tiwary

 Don’t think India will win unless they have a Hardik Pandya: Michael Vaughan

Despite the initial hiccups, Vaughan remains convinced that Pandya's all-round abilities are crucial for India's chances at the T20 World Cup. 

“For India to win the World Cup, they need Hardik Pandya, they need him playing well. They need to over the next few weeks get that confidence level right up to the top because India with Hardik flying have got a great chance of lifting the trophies,” Vaughan said on The Ranveer Show on YouTube.

Also read: Simon Doull makes a bold claim regarding MI skipper

Pandya suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh, which ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. Vaughan also highlighted the significance of Rishabh Pant's return to form, emphasizing that the wicket-keeper batter needs to be playing at the level he was before his injury. 

“I don’t think they (India) will (win) unless they have a Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant playing well. For India to win T20 World Cup, Rishabh has to play. He has to be playing to a level that it was before injury. He is kind of getting back to that level and they need Hardik Pandya the allrounder (as well),” Vaughan concluded.