The cricketer-turned-commentator made these remarks while speaking on ESPNcricinfo. He pointed out that the Men in Blue are expected to go ahead with three frontline seamers in their playing XI.

Manjrekar reckons that having someone like Hardik Pandya would benefit the side, especially when one of the bowlers has an off day. Sanjay Manjrekar explained:

Ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri also emphasized the importance of having Hardik Pandya in the lineup. He highlighted how the talismanic all-rounder has done well in Australian conditions in the past. Ravi Shastri said:

While there were question marks regarding Pandya’s fitness ahead of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2022), he has successfully silenced the critics with his all-round performances.

Hardik Pandya has managed 140 runs from five outings for the Gujarat Titans and has also picked up four wickets. It is worth mentioning that he had to sit out in his team’s last fixture due to a groin injury. It remains to be seen if Pandya is fully fit for the upcoming contest.

“Rishabh Pant will be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in T20 World Cup 2022” - Ravi Shastri

Shastri went on to state that while Dinesh Karthik has done well in IPL 2022, India are likely to go ahead with Rishabh Pant as their first-choice wicketkeeper. He mentioned that the southpaw has a fabulous record in the Australian conditions. Shastri stated:

India had a dismal outing at the T20 World Cup last year as they suffered a premature exit at the group stage. They will want to make amends by coming up with an improved performance this year to lift the coveted ICC trophy.

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