What a player Mumbai Indians (MI) unearthed via the IPL! Hardik Pandya, who was a hearty young all-rounder with a high ceiling in 2016, has written his name into Indian cricket history. The all-rounder picked up his 100th T20I wicket during the third match against South Africa in Dharamsala, becoming the first Indian ever to achieve the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in this format. It is a milestone that even India’s most celebrated all-rounders across generations never reached.
The landmark comes just days after Pandya produced a match-winning performance in Cuttack, where he almost single-handedly lifted India’s batting. On a tacky pitch, he struck an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and finished the innings with a late burst that changed the game. He later added a wicket, his 99th, to complete a superb all-round outing, helping India crush South Africa by 101 runs.
With the wicket of Tristan Stubbs in Dharamsala, Pandya has now joined an elite global list that includes Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Nabi, Sikandar Raza, and Virandeep Singh. Among Indians, he stands alone.
Slowest to 100 wickets but India’s MVP
While it might be surprising, it is understandable that Hardik Pandya has become the slowest bowler in T20I history to reach 100 wickets, getting there in his 123rd match. It must be noted that Pandya started his early T20I career as a sixth bowling option. He has developed his bowling so much that now he can slot into any lineup purely as a bowler.
The previous slowest was England’s Adil Rashid, who needed 100 matches. But unlike Rashid, Pandya has also been a frontline batter for India throughout his career, which partly explains the unusual timeline. Despite missing long stretches due to injuries, Pandya is already India’s fifth-highest T20I run-scorer, closing in on the 2000-run mark. In the Cuttack opener, he also crossed another milestone by becoming just the fourth Indian to hit 100 sixes in T20Is.
Most T20I wickets for India
- Arshdeep Singh: 109 wickets
- Jasprit Bumrah: 101 wickets
- Hardik Pandya: 100* wickets
- Yuzvendra Chahal: 96 wickets
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 90 wickets
Most T20I runs for India
- Rohit Sharma: 4231 runs
- Virat Kohli: 4188 runs
- Suryakumar Yadav: 2783 runs
- KL Rahul: 2265 runs
- Hardik Pandya: 1939 runs*
England remain his favourite opponents. Pandya has dismissed them 19 times in T20Is, the most wickets he has taken against any side. Meanwhile, 2022 was his most productive year when he took 20 wickets at an economy of 8.50.
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