The vice-captain saved his best for the last, delivering a spell of 3 for 20 in the final, including a nerve-jangling final over of the match, in India’s thrilling seven-run win over South Africa on Saturday in Barbados.
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The emotions after the victory were not just written on Pandya’s face but also came out in the form of tears, and then in a social media post as he shared a clip of himself from his growing-up days in Baroda, where a young Hardik is sharing his and his brother Krunal’s dream to play for India one day.
“Hum dono ka ek sapna hai ke hum dono bhi Baroda aur India ke liye khelein (we both have a dream that we play for Baroda and India),” the young Hardik could be heard saying in the video.
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The T20 World Cup winner wrote in the caption: “Just a boy from Baroda living his dream and grateful for everything that’s come his way. Cannot ask for anything more. Playing for my country will always be the greatest honour.”
After the controversy related to the Mumbai Indians’ captaincy changing hands from Rohit Shrama to Pandya at the start of the 2024 season, Hardik endured a tough time as the boos from the crowd refused to cease. While MI had a forgettable season, finishing at the bottom of the table, Hardik’s own game went off the boil both with bat and ball.
(Hardik with the T20 World Cup trophy – Getty Images)
But he redemeed himself in style at the T20 World Cup. In six innings across 8 matches, he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57, including one half-century. With the ball, he took 11 wickets in 8 matches with a best of 3/20 (in the final) at an economy rate of 7.64.
“It’s very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted,” Pandya said talking on live broadcast after the match.
“Especially for me, after six months, I haven’t spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there’d be a time I could shine. An opportunity like this makes it all the more special.
“We always believed, stayed calm, let the pressure come to them. Last over, I knew I had to execute my plans. I have been in this situation, I enjoy the pressure situation,” Pandya added.
Among Pandya’s two wickets in the final were the most crucial blows that tilted the scales in India’s favour after South Africa had powered themselves into a situation where they needed just a run a ball.
Pandya first struck to take the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27 balls) out of the picture after he threatened to finish the game early with his lusty blows, which included smashing 24 runs in one over of left-arm spinner Axar Patel.
It was then ‘Player of the Tournament’ Jasprit Bumrah (2 for 18) in the 18th over who once again made the difference as he gave away just two runs and took a wicket. Arshdeep Singh (2 for 20) followed it up with another miserly over to make things tougher for the Proteas.
The game-changing moment was perhaps the stunning catch at the edge of the boundary by Suryakumar Yadav off Pandya to begin the 20th over when David Miller’s (21 off 17 balls) shot seemed destined for a six. But Surya took the catch at the edge of the ropes, threw it back up in the air before he crossed the boundary and then jumped back in to lap it up.
India, after scoring 176 for 7 on the back of Virat Kohli’s 59-ball 76, restricted South Africa to 169 for 8 to end an 11 year wait for another ICC trophy.
