In the 2024 final match against South Africa, Pandya had picked three wickets in three overs
India’s Men in Blue are ready to take on the world in the upcoming
T20 World Cup 2026, and the spotlight is on all the players in the squad. However, our eyes are particularly on Hardik Pandya, India’s star all-rounder, who has the experience of playing in several World Cups and is known for performing in dire situations.
Ahead of the tournament, let us look at Hardik Pandya’s T20 career in a limited number of words.
Pandya’s IPL exploits
(Credit- Khelnow)
While there are numerous domestic franchise-based T20 leagues in the world today, the IPL once held a unique position. Hardik Pandya is one of the best players who honed his skills on the platform while mostly playing for the Mumbai Indians. In 11 years, Pandya has played 227 matches, having scored 3,869 runs at an average of 27.25, coupled with 106 wickets in 182 matches.
Although Pandya has never hit a 100 in the IPL, his highest score stands at 91, and he has 10 half centuries to his name.
On the international front
Moving on to Pandya’s numbers on the global stage, the stylish all-rounder has 128 T20I matches under his belt with 2,029 runs at an average of 28.18 while maintaining a strike rate of 143.29. His highest score in the format is 71, and Pandya has seven fifties to his name.
(Credit- GQ India)
With the ball, Pandya has scalped 105 wickets in 128 matches while maintaining an economy of 8.29, which could be judged expensive. Not to forget, he has registered a best figure of 4/16.
Heroic performances
(Credit- Mid-day)
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Pandya is known for performing in dire situations. Apart from grabbing three wickets in the 2024 final, Pandya had single-handedly ruined Bangladesh in the 2016 World Cup when they needed 11 runs in the final over, but Pandya picked two crucial wickets and snatched the victory from their mouth. In December 2025 against South Africa, he played two knocks of 59 and 63 in less than 30 balls to help India win.
Recent major T20I tournament
The most recent major T20I tournament that Pandya was part of is the Asia Cup, which India won by defeating PAK. Pandya’s efforts with the willow were poor, as he managed only 48 runs in six wickets at an average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 120.00. Even with the ball, he only managed four wickets in six matches.
Present form
As of now, Pandya is doing decently against the Kiwis with 25 runs scored in the first game, coupled with one wicket. The second game did not see him bat but saw him pick one more wicket, whereas in the third game, he grabbed two wickets but did not bat. Overall, Pandya is going strong with the ball but needs to do a little more with his willow.
