The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has reached its halfway point, and a clear divide has emerged between the top-performing teams and the struggling ones. Rajasthan Royals, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders have established themselves as the frontrunners, while Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru find themselves at the bottom of the standings.
With the T20 World Cup 2024 just around the corner, the IPL holds immense significance as it serves as a platform for players to showcase their form and earn a spot in the Indian squad. However, former Australian batter Aaron Finch has expressed concerns about the poor form of three key Indian players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Finch, who led Australia to the T20 World Cup title in 2021, believes that Jaiswal and Pandya have been underperforming throughout the IPL so far. “There is a bit of pressure building on both of them,” Finch said. “They will want to be in great form to get picked and then contribute to India having a real crack at trying to win another T20 World Cup.”
Jaiswal, who scored a century against Mumbai Indians on Monday, has averaged 32.14 in eight games. Pandya, on the other hand, has struggled with both bat and ball, averaging 25.25 with the bat and taking only four wickets in seven matches.
Finch also raised concerns about India’s pace bowling, particularly the form of Jasprit Bumrah. “I think spin could get them out of trouble,” Finch said. “I think the form of Kuldeep Yadav will be crucial. Arshdeep Singh is a quality bowler, but he is not in his best form at the moment.”
Despite these concerns, Finch believes that India has enough time to address these issues before the T20 World Cup. “We have seven weeks from the tournament,” Finch said. “That’s potentially 10 more games for the guys to find form.”
