'Pressure building on Yashasvi Jaiswal and Hardik Pandya' - Aaron Finch puts spotlight on out-of-form Indian stars ahead of RR-MI tie

Former Australian captain Aaron Finch put the spotlight on Hardik Pandya and Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of the upcoming encounter between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI), at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, on Monday, April 22.

Hardik returned to competitive cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) after injuring his left ankle during the ODI World Cup 2023. Thereafter, he returned to Mumbai Indians after leading Gujarat Titans for a couple of seasons. Subsequently, the Baroda all-rounder was announced as the captain, replacing the five-time championship-winning captain Rohit Sharma.

So far, Hardik has had dismal performances with bat and ball and some of his captaincy calls have also been questioned. The 30-year-old has scored just 141 runs from seven innings at an average of 23.50 and a strike rate of 146.88. When it comes to bowling, he has taken just four wickets at 41.25 and has an economy rate of 11.

Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who became a household name with his stunning performances for Rajasthan Royals last season, went on to take international cricket by storm by scoring runs for fun. He was in scintillating form and scored a couple of double centuries during the Test series against England prior to IPL 2024. However, so far in the 17th edition of the cash-rich league, the southpaw has just managed 121 runs from seven games at an average of 17.29. His highest score is just 39.

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"I have got my eye on two people for this match. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Hardik Pandya. They are two guys that haven't been in the best form throughout this IPL so far. There is a little bit of pressure building on both of them and I think that's why the spotlight is on them. Yes, there's a T20 World Cup coming up very soon," Finch told Star Sports.

"So, they will want to be in great form, one, to be picked, and two, if they are there, to be in really good form to contribute to India having a real crack at trying to win another T20 World Cup. So, that's who's on my radar today. Look forward to what should be a cracking game," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Squad for Team India expected to be announced after MI versus DC IPL 2024 clash

Meanwhile, there have been several reports doing the round that the chief BCCI selector Ajit Agarkar is expected to meet Team India captain Rohit Sharma to discuss the squad for the impending T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, it has come to light that the final squad is expected to be announced this month after the conclusion of the upcoming IPL 2024 fixture between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.

Also Read: IPL 2024, Match 38: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians Match Preview

Hence, star players in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Hardik Paandya will look to silence their doubters with solid performances on Monday, April 22, to book their tickets for the marquee event which is slated to be played in West Indies and United States of America (USA), respectively.