Hardik Pandya was recently spotted at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) with his son Agastya, fueling rumors of his potential return to red-ball cricket. While Hardik last played for India in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in July, he has been on a break to focus on white-ball formats due to his injury-prone career.

The all-rounder is working on making a comeback to the T20I squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh and is rumored to be eyeing a return to the Test side.

 

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A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93)

During his time away from international cricket, Hardik shared glimpses of his training sessions and precious moments with Agastya on Instagram. The father-son bonding time caught the attention of fans, with the picture going viral.

Hardik Pandya is recognized as one of India’s finest all-rounders, excelling with both bat and ball. His ability to bat with an explosive strike rate and bowl consistently at high speeds makes him an irreplaceable asset for Team India across all formats. Let’s take a look at his stats and records.

Hardik Pandya Batting Stats

• ODIs: Hardik has played 86 ODIs, scoring 1,769 runs at an impressive strike rate of 110.35, with 11 fifties to his name. His highest ODI score is 92.
• Tests: In the longer format, Pandya has scored 532 runs in 11 matches, with a highest score of 108. He has one century and four fifties.
• T20Is: In 93 T20Is, Pandya has scored 1,348 runs at a strike rate of 139.83, including 3 fifties.

Hardik Pandya Bowling Stats

• ODIs: Pandya has taken 84 wickets in 86 matches, with his best bowling figures being 4/24.
• Tests: In 11 Test matches, he has claimed 17 wickets, with a best performance of 6/50.
• T20Is: He has taken 76 wickets in 93 T20I matches, with a best of 4/16.

Hardik Pandya’s Notable Records

• Century: Pandya’s sole international century came in a Test match against Sri Lanka in 2017.
• All-Round Impact: Pandya’s ability to consistently contribute with both bat and ball across formats makes him one of India’s most valuable players.

Pandya’s versatility as a pace-bowling all-rounder, especially in white-ball cricket, has set him apart. His capability to bat with a strike rate over 150 and bowl at 145 km/h makes him a unique asset for India, reminiscent of the legendary Kapil Dev.

Hardik Pandya, known for his unique skills as a pace all-rounder, has not played Test cricket since 2018. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025 approaching, many are wondering if he will make his return to red-ball cricket.

Pandya has been a standout player in white-ball formats, but Test cricket has always been a challenge for him. Injuries and fitness concerns have kept him out of India’s Test squad, and he hasn’t participated in a first-class match since 2018. His focus has largely been on T20s and ODIs, where he has delivered exceptional performances.

However, with recent changes in management and ongoing speculation, there are signs that Pandya might be considering a return to the longer format. He has been seen training with the red ball and is expected to participate in the 2024 Ranji Trophy. This could be his path back to Test cricket, potentially for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2025.

India has a strong lineup of spin all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin, but a reliable pace all-rounder has been missing, especially for overseas matches. Pandya, if fit and available, could fill that gap and bring much-needed balance to the team.

Hardik Pandya has shared a touching birthday message for his son Agastya on social media. Despite being separated from his ex-wife Natasa Stankovic, Pandya celebrated Agastya’s 4th birthday with a heartfelt post.

In his Instagram story, Pandya shared a video montage of precious moments with Agastya, set to the song “Come With Me.” He wrote, “You keep me going every single day! Happy birthday to my partner in crime, my whole heart, my Agu ❤️ Love you beyond words.”

 

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Agastya is currently in Serbia with his mother Natasa, who moved there shortly before the couple announced their separation. Pandya and Stankovic revealed their split after two months of speculation.

The much-anticipated first T20I between India and Sri Lanka kicked off with a new leadership dynamic as Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the Indian team, replacing Rohit Sharma as captain. Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir is stepping into his new role as head coach after his previous experience as a mentor with LSG and KKR. The match marks a fresh chapter for Indian cricket with high hopes pinned on the new leadership team.

However, the game saw an early setback for India as Hardik Pandya was dismissed for just 9 runs off 10 balls. Pandya, known for his aggressive batting, was dismissed by a stunning delivery from Sri Lankan bowler Matheesa Pathirana. Pathirana delivered a searing yorker at 151 km/h, which tailing back into Pandya’s pads, ultimately crashing into the stumps. This delivery proved too good for Pandya, who was attempting to hit the ball over the on-side. Pathirana’s breakthrough was his second wicket of the evening and a significant moment in the match.

Despite the early dismissal of a key player like Pandya, the Indian team, under Yadav’s leadership, aims to set the tone for the series. With a track record of leading India to a 5-2 victory in his previous seven matches as captain, Yadav’s performance in this series will be closely watched.

The game is not just about the individual performances but also a test of how well the new leadership can steer the team towards success. Fans and experts alike are eager to see if Yadav and Gambhir can build on the legacy of their predecessors and take the Indian cricket team to new heights.

Team India has departed for Sri Lanka to compete in a series of three T20Is and three ODIs. The T20I squad left Mumbai on July 22, with head coach Gautam Gambhir heading to the airport immediately after his first press conference in his new role. Hardik Pandya, who is only participating in the T20I series, was seen sharing a friendly moment with assistant coach Abhishek Nayar before the flight.

Despite Hardik Pandya’s valuable contributions, he will not be leading the T20I team. Shubman Gill has been appointed as vice-captain, replacing Hardik in this role. Suryakumar Yadav has been chosen as captain, with Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, citing Hardik’s fitness issues as a key factor in this decision. Agarkar stressed that while Hardik remains a key player, his fitness challenges made it difficult to appoint him as captain.

Hardik Pandya joined the T20I team ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

– He meets Abhishek Nayar, the Assistant coach of Indian team. 👌pic.twitter.com/0NAxiSQcvS

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 22, 2024

Gambhir also announced that all-rounders Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate have been appointed as assistant coaches for the tour. Their inclusion is part of a strategy to strengthen the coaching team as India prepares for the series in Sri Lanka.

In a hilarious moment during the felicitation ceremony of the Indian cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, captain Rohit Sharma was left speechless by a viral reference to one of his famous stump-mic lines.

Gaurav Kapur’s Unexpected Question

During the event, presenter Gaurav Kapur made an unexpected reference to a video that went viral earlier in 2024. The video showed Rohit Sharma uttering the iconic one-liner “koi bhi garden mein nahi ghoom” during the home Test series against England.Kapur, taking advantage of India’s unbeaten run to the T20 World Cup title, asked Rohit: “You have become the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup undefeated. You did not lose a single game. It was a complete team effort. Is it safe to say ek bhi mein koi ek minute keliye garden mein nahi ghooma?”

Gaurav Kapur said, "it is fair to say that koi bhi ek minute ke liye bhi garden mein nahi ghuma". 🤣🔥 pic.twitter.com/lHqjc92re7

— Kuljot⁴⁵ (@Ro45Kuljot) July 4, 2024

Rohit’s Reaction and Teammates’ Laughter

Rohit burst into laughter as the crowd at Wankhede went berserk, while Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who were seated in front of the stage, could not stop laughing as well. The unexpected reference to the viral video caught Rohit off guard, leaving him speechless for a brief moment.

Rohit’s Dedication of the Trophy

Despite the humorous moment, Rohit, who lifted the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time in his career, dedicated the title to the entire nation.”Firstly… since we came to India, it’s been wonderful. The reception we’ve received here tells you the kind of enthusiasm people had for this trophy. Yes, of course, it means so much for us but it’s for the entire nation. Along with all the players who have represented the country, I think the people who’ve been wanting us to win the trophy, it [trophy] belongs to them,” Rohit said.The felicitation ceremony was part of the grand welcome the Indian team received upon their return to India after winning the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. The team met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi before traveling to Mumbai for the open-bus road show and the Wankhede Stadium event.

June 29 was a momentous day for Rohit Sharma as he finally clinched his second T20 World Cup trophy, 17 years after the first. The 2024 victory holds special significance as it comes at the twilight of his career. Soon after the win, both Rohit and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20 Internationals.

The Challenge of Finding a New Captain

Rohit’s departure leaves Team India without one of their finest batters and a seasoned captain. While there is no shortage of batting talent with players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Abhishek Sharma, finding a leader of Rohit’s caliber is a challenging task.

Replacing a successful captain has historically been difficult for teams. England struggled after Eoin Morgan retired in 2021, Australia faced challenges post-Michael Clarke in 2015, and stability only returned with Pat Cummins in 2021. Fortunately for India, Rohit’s successor seems ready—Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya’s Rise as a Captain

Hardik Pandya has established himself as a successful T20 captain in a short period. He debuted as the captain for Gujarat Titans two years ago, leading them to victory in his first season with 12 wins out of 16 matches. Following his IPL success, he captained a young Indian team in Ireland and led the Men in Blue to series victories against Sri Lanka and the West Indies in early 2023.

In the IPL 2023 season, Hardik guided the Gujarat Titans to another final, winning 11 of 17 matches. Although he lost a tight series to the West Indies in August 2023, his overall record as India’s T20I captain remains impressive.

Hardik Pandya’s T20 Captaincy Record

T20Is:
– Matches: 16
– Won: 10
– Lost: 6
– Win Percentage: 62.50%

IPL:
– Matches: 45
– Won: 26
– Lost: 19
– Win Percentage: 57.77%

Among IPL captains who have led in 45 or more matches, only Sachin Tendulkar has a better win percentage (58.82%) than Hardik Pandya. Similarly, for Indian T20I captains who led in 10 or more matches, only Rohit Sharma boasts a higher win percentage (79.03%).

With Rohit Sharma stepping away from T20Is, Hardik Pandya is poised to take over the reins. His proven track record in both the IPL and T20Is makes him a strong candidate to lead the Indian team into the next era of T20 cricket.

The Indian cricket team made a strong start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, securing a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Ireland. Hardik Pandya emerged as the star of the match, picking up three crucial wickets in the first innings and setting the tone for India’s dominant performance.

Reflecting on the game, a satisfied Pandya emphasized the importance of starting the tournament on a positive note. “It’s crucial to maintain rhythm right from the get-go because once the World Cup begins, it’s a relentless journey,” he said. “It feels really good when your hard work pays off with success.”

Pandya also opened up about his growth as a player, acknowledging the valuable lessons learned from playing international cricket. “At 30, I’m much more experienced than I was at 16, thanks to the exposure and challenges of playing at the highest level,” he explained. “When you bowl numerous overs and bat extensively in the nets, you gradually realize your potential and find ways to improve. That’s been my primary focus.”

The all-rounder praised the strength of the Indian team, particularly the experienced bowlers and batters. He singled out the fast bowling trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh, commending their significant contributions to the team’s success.

Looking ahead to the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash, Pandya acknowledged the excitement surrounding the marquee encounter. “The match is always going to be fantastic, with a lot of buzz and anticipation. Hopefully, the Indian team will stay focused and make it another great day at the office against our arch-rivals in this big clash,” he remarked.

As India savors their opening victory, all eyes now turn to the blockbuster clash against Pakistan, where Pandya and his teammates will aim to continue their winning momentum in the T20 World Cup 2024.