As the race to filling the seam-bowling all-rounder’s slot for the T20 World Cup, starting June 1 gears momentum, the BCCI selectors are weighing their options between the struggling Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, whose big-hitting abilities are backed by most cricket pundits.

The Statesman understands that the selectors will be looking at adding balance to the side, and in the current scenario, Dube’s stats make him an automatic choice over Pandya, who has been struggling ever since his return to action.

According to sources, Hardik’s bowling form was up for discussion when national team skipper Rohit Sharma recently met chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Rahul Dravid to discuss the T20 World Cup squad at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Pandya has been enduring a terrible phase of late, right from facing backlash from the crowd after replacing Rohit as Mumbai Indians’ skipper, while his below-par on-field performances have rubbed salt to the wound. On Sunday night, he was smoked for three consecutive sixes by MS Dhoni in the final over of the CSK innings, thus making his case more complicated.

And more worryingly, Pandya has leaked runs at an economy of 12.00 this IPL, and managed just three wickets so far in the tournament. In batting too, Pandya hasn’t been able to set the tournament ablaze, and has scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 145.55 in five games.

On the other hand, Dube has been a nightmare for the opposition bowlers, especially the spinners in the tournament. Being a left-hander Dube also has an edge over Pandya, given the Indian batting line-up is mostly dominated by right-handers.

West Indian batting great Brian Lara insisted that Dube can be a huge asset for India on the Caribbean pitches for the World Cup and hence the BCCI selectors should pick him. “There’s a huge case for this guy, for this World cup that’s coming up. Shivam Dube…on the pitches in the Caribbean. I know India is playing a few matches in America. But the pitchers in the Caribbean would suit his style of batting. The stadiums, they are not that big. He would be an awesome asset for India,” he said.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also praised Dube’s spin-hitting abilities, saying that no one among the present group of Indian players, capped or uncapped, comes close to the CSK southpaw when it comes to facing spinners and batting in the middle overs.

“The kind of hitting ability Dube has, he is best to anyone, he is able to murder the spinner. I haven’t seen anyone. No one has come close to him in Indian cricket, among the current crop of players, obviously you have to negate Dhoni there because he is retired, but Dube is the best,” Pathan said.

Pathan further said that once CSK plans to utilise Dube’s bowling, the lanky Mumbai seam bowling all-rounder will put a lot of pressure on Hardik for a spot in the T20 World Cup.

“Eventually, there will be a time when he will start putting pressure on Hardik Pandya when he starts bowling. I will be highly disappointed if he doesn’t go to the World Cup. Hardik’s ability as a hitter has gone down and hence a lot of people are talking about Dube, and it might happen that both will be on that flight to the World Cup,” he said.

With the IPL set to continue for a few more weeks, both Pandya and Dube will be hoping to make full use of the opportunities to convince the selectors, and earn the ticket to the US and West Indies.