Hardik Pandya Archives

Pandya blitz powers India to T20 series win over South Africa

Hardik Pandya led India’s batting assault with his 16-ball 50 to set up a 30-run win over South Africa and clinch the series 3-1 in the fifth T20I on Friday.

A punishing 105-run fourth partnership between Pandya, who hammered 63 off off 25 balls, and Tilak Varma (73) swept India to 231-5 at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

In reply, South Africa started strongly thanks to a 35-ball 65 by Quinton de Kock, who played his 100th T20 for the national team, but the opener’s departure triggered a collapse, and the Proteas ended on 201-8.

The win sealed India’s eighth consecutive T20 series triumph, a streak that began in December 2023.

South Africa began the tour with a stunning 2-0 triumph in the Test series, but the white-ball contests proved disappointing as they also lost the one-day series 2-1.

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah returned figures of 2-17, including the key wicket of De Kock, who chipped a yorker straight back to him. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy took four wickets, bowling Donovan Ferreira and George Linde.

The series was part of the build-up for the T20 World Cup, which starts in February in India and Sri Lanka.

Put into bat after the fourth match was abandoned due to fog in Lucknow, Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma started briskly before Pandya tore into the opposition attack.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Seam bowler Corbin Bosch cut short left-handed Abhishek’s knock on 34, and Samson fell for 37, bowled off left-arm spinner Linde.

India lost their third wicket when skipper Suryakumar Yadav got out for five to extend his lean run with the bat.

T20 specialist Suryakumar has managed just 244 runs across his last 22 innings in this format with no fifties.

Pandya walked in and smacked Bosch for a six to signal his intent with the bat, and in the next over, hammered Linde for two sixes and two fours.

The middle-order batter registered India’s second-fastest T20 fifty, behind Yuvraj Singh’s record of a 12-ball half-century in 2007.

The left-handed Varma also impressed with is clean hitting, but Pandya’s carnage that included five fours and five sixes stole the show.

Pandya finally fell to Ottneil Baartman, and Varma got run out on the penultimate ball, but the pair helped India get 116 runs from the last eight overs.

Vice-captain Shubman Gill missed the match after he injured his right foot while batting in the nets in Lucknow.

In the South African chase, De Kock’s 51-run second-wicket partnership with Dewald Brevis, who made 31 off 17 balls, gave the Proteas hope, but regular wickets and rising asking rate proved too much.

READ: England assistant coach provides update on Stokes’ fitness

Pandya stars as India rout South Africa in T20I series opener

CUTTACK: Hardik Pandya dazzled on his T20I return with an all-round display, leading India to a commanding 101-run victory over South Africa in the first match of the T20I series here on Tuesday.

Set 176 under lights at Barabati Stadium, South Africa’s explosive batting line was skittled for 74 in only 12.3 overs, thanks to a clinical bowling display from the Men in Blue.

Arshdeep Singh provided India a top start with the prized wicket of Quinton de Kock, caught out on the second ball of the innings.

It was Arshdeep again who sent back Tristan Stubbs in the third over, reducing the Proteas to 16-2.

Stubbs was caught behind after hitting two boundaries in his 14 off nine.

India continued to pile on pressure with wickets at regular intervals as South Africa lost half of their side in the seventh over.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The experienced middle-order comprising Aiden Markram and David Miller could not arrest the slide, as all of the Indian bowlers chipped in with wickets on their own.

Eventually, the visitor’s whole side was bowled out for a mere score.

For India, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel scalped two wickets apiece. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube also managed to take one each.

Earlier, India racked up 175 for six in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to Hardik Pandya’s 59* from 28, which included four sixes and half a dozen boundaries.

South Africa put India on the ropes in the first 13 overs as the home side was reduced to 104-5.

However, Pandya, on his return after injury, turned the tide in India’s favor with a blistering knock, which not only lifted them out of trouble but propelled them to a winning total.

For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi starred with the ball and picked up three wickets in four overs. Lutho Sipamla remained the other notable contributor with two wickets to his name.

READ: Australia coach clarifies Khawaja’s role in flexible batting order

India reveal squad for South Africa T20Is

MUMBAI: Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to the India T20I side as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for a five-match series against South Africa.

The notable omissions from the squad are left-handed batter Rinku Singh and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who featured in the T20I series against Australia.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the shorter format, Shubman Gill, has also been named in the team; however, his participation will be subject to fitness.

Gill suffered a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa, which eventually ruled him out of the Test and ODI series.

Pandya last played a match in the Asia Cup and was added to the squad after recovering from the injury. The all-rounder has showcased glimpses of form during India’s domestic T20I competition- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The Men in Blues’ pace attack will comprise Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently not part of the ODI series. Arshdeep Singh will partner with him alongside Harshit Rana.

On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Suryaykumar will continue to lead the side, with the five-match series commencing on December 9 in Cuttack.

The second T20I and remaining fixtures will be played on 11, 14, 17, and 19 in New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad, respectively.

South Africa won the two-Test series 2-0, and India led the ODI series 1-0 when the T20I squad was announced during the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday.

India squad for T20I series against South Africa:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar

READ: WATCH: BBL showcases Babar Azam in Cricket 26 game

India coach plays down injury scares for Hardik, Abhishek

DUBAI: India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has brushed aside major injury concerns surrounding Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, scheduled on Sunday.

Hardik sparked alarm on Friday when he clutched his left hamstring and walked off the field after bowling just one over against Sri Lanka.

The all-rounder struck with his very first delivery, removing Kusal Mendis for a golden duck, but did not return for the remainder of the innings.

“Hardik had cramps. He will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, and we’ll then take a call,” Morkel clarified at the post-match press conference.

Abhishek Sharma also caused concern after showing visible discomfort in the ninth over while sprinting, clutching his right thigh. He exited the field in the 10th over and did not return, receiving ice treatment and pickle juice for cramps.

Substitutes Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Jitesh Sharma rotated on the field, while Tilak Varma also briefly went off before returning.

With Friday’s clash extending into a Super Over, Morkel emphasised that recovery, not training, will be India’s priority heading into the final.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“The key for the boys is to rest. They’re already in ice baths, and the recovery started straight after the match. Sleep, rest, and staying off the feet will be crucial,” he said.

“There will be individual pool sessions and massages before the guys get mentally ready for Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround, so playing smart is the key. There will certainly be no training.”

The coach also addressed the pressure on young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who went for a combined 100 runs in eight overs against Sri Lanka.

While acknowledging their struggles, Morkel praised Arshdeep for holding his nerve in the Super Over to secure India’s win.

“In our environment, we want to move away from an excuse culture. The effort the boys put in at training, we expect them to deliver,” he added.

“Yes, lack of game time can be a factor, but nothing beats being out there in the middle. Right now, things aren’t happening for them, but they’re all X-factor players and match-winners.”

READ: Nissanka ton in vain as India edge Sri Lanka in Super Over

Hardik Pandya dodges Pakistan travel question with witty reply after Champions Trophy win

DUBAI: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya humorously replied to a question about the team’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

During the post-match press conference after the Men in Blue’s victory against New Zealand in the final, a Pakistani journalist questioned Pandya about India’s choice to play all their matches in the UAE instead of Pakistan, the tournament’s official host.

“It’s great. Even the people of Pakistan wanted us to play there, but it couldn’t happen. I’m sure all the Pakistanis in Dubai must have enjoyed the match.”

Hardik Pandya further stated that the decision to travel to Pakistan for the multi-nation tournament is above his pay grade.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“As for why the Indian team didn’t go to Pakistan, I think that’s above my pay grade,” he said.

His amusing remark, accompanied by a smile, triggered laughter in the room and soon gained traction on social media.

For the unversed, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cited security and political tensions as reasons for not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

This resulted in a hybrid model, with India playing all their matches in Dubai while other teams played in Pakistan.

Consequently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stated that it will not send its team to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup and will instead play at a neutral venue.

Read: Wasim Akram reacts to PCB’s absence from Champions Trophy presentation ceremony

India’s chief selector reveals why Hardik Pandya was denied T20I captaincy

India chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed the reason for appointing Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain over Hardik Pandya ahead of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Champions are set to participate in a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka, commencing on July 26th, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for July 27th and 29th respectively.

Pandya, who served as India’s vice-captain under captain Rohit Sharma during the T20 World Cup, was long considered the next white-ball captain of India.

However, following Sharma’s retirement from T20I cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named Suryakumar Yadav as his successor instead of Pandya.

Agarkar explained the reason for appointing Yadav as the captain, highlighting the star batter’s cricketing acumen and team rapport.

“Why Surya was made the captain, because he is one of the deserving candidates,” Agarkar said at a press conference.

“He’s been around the group over the last year, we get feedback from the dressing room a lot. [He has a] good cricket brain, and [is] one of the best T20 batters in the world.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former pacer drew attention to Pandya’s fitness concerns, mentioning that the decision to not give him captaincy would help in managing his workload to keep him fit.

“We want him [Hardik Pandya] to be the player he can be because those sorts of skillsets are difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years,” Agarkar stated.

“His fitness is a challenge and we wanted someone who is available more often than not. Surya has the qualities you need to succeed as a captain. Two years is a bit more time to try and look at some things a bit differently. In this way, we can manage Hardik better.”

The chief selector denied reports that Pandya suddenly lost favour after Gautam Gambhir became the head coach, stating that the move had been discussed for the past few months.

“These conversations don’t happen overnight. We’ve discussed them over the last few months, leading up to the World Cup as well,” he added.

“You get feedback from the dressing room as well, and the biggest thing is that the captain should be on the park. It’s a prerequisite really. Hopefully, Surya does it and so far, there hasn’t been a concern over his T20 batting anyway.”

Notably, Hardik Pandya has captained India in 16 T20I matches, winning 10 of them, while Suryakumar Yadav has led the side in seven games, winning five.

READ: Sri Lanka unveil new T20I captain, squad for home series against India

Here’s why Suryakumar Yadav was chosen over Hardik Pandya as T20I captain

The decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain of India over Hardik Pandya has been attributed to him having the backing of players, according to a report on Friday.

Suryakumar, 33, was named Rohit Sharma’s successor in the T20 format as selectors late Thursday announced the squads for India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka starting July 27.

Suryakumar will lead a 15-member squad in three T20 matches in Pallekele but has not been selected to play the following three ODI matches.

Rohit, who along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja quit T20 internationals after India’s World Cup triumph last month, will continue to lead the ODI team, which will face Sri Lanka on August 2, 4, and 7 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

The 30-year-old Pandya, who was Rohit’s deputy during the T20 showpiece, lost out in the captaincy race to a player who made his debut five years later than the star all-rounder.

A report in the Indian Express newspaper said, “Feedback received by the board was that players trusted Surya more than Pandya and were more comfortable working under him”.

Pandya’s frequent injury breakdowns, including an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last year at home, also went against him.

According to reports, new coach Gautam Gambhir did not want a captain with injury concerns and was impressed with Suryakumar’s game awareness.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Suryakumar Yadav, a T20 regular who redefined batting in the format, made a late debut for India at the age of 30 but soon became the team’s go-to batter in the middle order.

His audacious strokeplay, including a lap shot behind the stumps, makes him a bowler’s nightmare, considered a “360-degree” player for hits all around the ground.

Most recently, Suryakumar took a stunning catch at the boundary in a tense last over from Pandya to help India clinch a thrilling victory in the World Cup final over South Africa in Barbados.

Suryakumar, who previously captained Mumbai in domestic cricket, last year led India to a 4-1 T20 series win over Australia and followed it up with a 1-1 result in South Africa.

Hardik Pandya had a good World Cup with bat and ball, but the ride has been rough for the Indian star, who replaced Rohit as IPL captain at Mumbai Indians.

He was booed across venues by fans of Rohit, and Mumbai ended bottom of the 10-team table in the T20 tournament.

Pandya has also struggled on the personal front, and on Thursday announced his separation from his wife and Serbian model Natasa Stankovic. They will co-parent a son from their four-year marriage.

READ: Australian all-rounder likely to return to Test cricket after seven years

Hardik Pandya confirms divorce with Natasa Stankovic

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Thursday confirmed his divorce with Natasa Stankovic after months of speculations surrounding their marriage.

Taking to Instagram, both Pandya and Stankovic shared a joint statement announcing that the couple decided to part ways mutually.

“After 4 years of being together, Natasa and I have decided to mutually part ways. We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest for the both of us,” the two said in a statement.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93)

It is pertinent to mention that Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic tied the knot in 2020 and they welcomed their son Agastya in the same year.

The announcement came hours after the Serbian dancer left Mumbai with their son Agastya.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, the two said that they will continue to co-parent their three-year-old son.

“We are blessed with Agastya, who will continue to be at the centre of both our lives and we will co-parent to ensure that we give him everything that we can for his happiness,” the couple said.

“This was a tough decision for us to make, given the joy, mutual respect and companionship we enjoyed together and as we grew a family,” the statement read.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @natasastankovic__

The rumours of their divorce started swirling with the absence of the actor from the stands at IPL 2024 matches to support her husband and the removal of his surname Pandya from her Instagram handle.

Following India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, the star all-rounder shared a series of photos with his son Agastya Pandya on Instagram.

However, social media users began questioning the absence of Pandya’s wife Natasa Stankovic from the celebration photos.

READ: New captain named as India unveil squad for Sri Lanka T20Is

Top Indian batter likely to pip Hardik Pandya to become T20I captain

Top-order batter Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be appointed as the T20I captain of India ahead of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, as reported by Indian media on Tuesday.

The reports emerged after regular captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20I cricket after leading the side to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

Pandya, who served as the vice-captain during the tournament under Sharma, was initially slated to take the long-term role as the captain of the shorter format.

However, Pandya’s fitness and workload management, along with the newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s preference, has led to Suryakumar Yadav’s emergence as the front-runner for the captaincy.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Yadav led India in the five-match home series against Australia last year, leading the side to a 4-1 victory. His second series as captain was against South Africa in December last year, which was tied 1-1.

Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar reportedly discussed their plan with Pandya and explained the reasoning behind the decision.

“Hardik Pandya was India’s T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY [Suryakumar Yadav] would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup,” a senior BCCI source said.

India will tour Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and T20I series. The upcoming white-ball tour will mark Gambhir’s first assignment after being appointed as India’s head coach, preceding Rahul Dravid, who stepped down after the T20 World Cup 2024 glory.

READ: Pakistan to tour New Zealand for white-ball series in 2025

Hardik Pandya’s T20 World Cup celebration ignites divorce rumours

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 celebration post reignited speculations regarding his divorce from Natasa Stankovic.

Pandya shared a number of pictures with his son, posed with the T20 World Cup 2024 gold medal while the model was missing.

Following India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2 024 final, the star all-rounder took to Instagram to share a series of photos with his son Agastya Pandya.

However, social media users began questioning the absence of Pandya’s wife Natasa Stankovic from the celebration photos.

The adorable snaps showed the father-son duo dressed in casual dress sharing some warm moments from cheering together to adoring Hardik Pandya’s medal around his son’s neck.

The Indian cricketer wrote in the caption, “My #1! Everything I do, I do for you.”

While several showered love on the two, others wondered why Natasa was not with her husband during his happiest times.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

One user commented, “Where is the mom?” while another took her absence as evidence that the rumours about their divorce were true as he wrote, “So the rumors seem to be true!”

A user wished, “I just hope and pray everything is fine between you and Natasa.”

Notably, Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic announced their engagement in January 2020, before tying the knot in May at a low-key court wedding, due to the Covid-19 lockdown. They welcomed their first child, Agastya, in July of the same year.

The rumours of their divorce started swirling with the absence of the actor from the stands at IPL 2024 matches to support her husband and the removal of his surname Pandya from her Instagram handle.

Although both celebrities remained tight-lipped on the matter, the reports suggested that Stankovic filed for divorce from Pandya, and as per the legal terms of their marriage, she is likely to receive 70% of the cricketer’s total wealth after divorce, even though most of his properties are on his mother’s name.

READ: Emotional Hardik Pandya opens up about ‘unfair’ treatment