“Whole country will be very closely watching Hardik” – Shastri on the impact IPL 2022 can have on World Cup selection

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes Hardik Pandya’s performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will be watched closely, keeping the T20 World Cup in mind.

Pandya, who was released by Mumbai Indians ahead of the mega auction, will be leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. He was picked by the franchise from the draft list.

Explaining why the IPL will be significant for the all-rounder as well as the Indian selectors, Shastri said during an interaction organized by Star Sports:

“They (selectors) would have players in their minds who could fit certain positions. I think the whole country will be very closely watching Hardik Pandya. You know what a match-winner he is. We know how good a player he is. They would love to see what he has to offer during this IPL.”

Shastri, who will be returning to commentary during the tournament, added that fast bowlers will also be looked at closely. He said:

“Like Hardik, there will be a lot of other players being watched very closely, who are there and thereabouts, who are knocking at the door of the Indian team and might make it. I feel they will be watching the fast bowling department closer than anything else because the (T20) World Cup is in Australia.”

India had a disastrous T20 World Cup 2021 campaign in the UAE, failing to qualify for the knockouts.

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“Very important to forget the money part of it” – Ravi Shastri’s advice for IPL players with high price tags

Shastri was also asked how players who are paid exorbitant salaries must deal with the pressure of expectations. The former all-rounder advised that cricketers must stop thinking about the money aspect and explained:

“Some feel the pressure, some don’t. I think it is very important to forget the money part of it. You have to go down to the basics and start from scratch. If you start living on the memory of how much you are paid, that is going to put extra pressure on you.”

He added:

“Observe the basics, pay attention to detail. Here, the captain becomes a key man. He would understand that there would be extra pressure on a player and can try to help him.”

Former India international cricketer Suresh Raina also agreed that there is greater pressure on players with high price tags. He said:

“There’s a lot of pressure on youngsters coming in with huge price tags. Because a player has been purchased for a very high price at the auction, the franchise and captain expect him to perform. And if he does well, he can take off from there. But sometimes it has been observed that the game of cricketers with high price tags goes down.”

Raina added that it is important for players who get paid very high sums to remain grounded and focused on the process. The former CSK batter elaborated:

“From my experience in the IPL, I can tell you that money will keep coming, but it is important not to lose focus on the process. A lot of people have been paid big money this time, so pressure will definitely be there.”

Having gone unsold at the IPL auction, Raina is set to make his commentary debut during the upcoming edition.