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India's Hardik Pandya becomes number one T20I all-rounder after 2024 T20 World Cup heroics

India's Hardik Pandya becomes number one T20I all-rounder after 2024 T20 World Cup heroics

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India's Hardik Pandya is now the joint number one T20I all-rounder along with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga. Hardik rose two places in the latest ICC rankings following a stellar 2024 T20 World Cup.

The all-rounder played an important role in India's title winning campaign which culminated with a 7-run win against first-time finalists South Africa on Saturday (June 29).

Pandya took 11 wickets in eight games to go with 144 runs at a strike rate of over 150. His most pivotal moment came in the final itself when he claimed 3/19 in four overs to guide India to a thrilling victory.

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In the final, Pandya dismissed dangerous looking Heinrich Klaasen when South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls. He then defended 16 runs in the last over after dismissing last recognised SA batter David Miller on the first ball of the over.

Pandya's performance saw him getting appreciation by same fans who were booing him before the T20 World Cup. The fans criticised the all-rounder after he got injured in the ODI World Cup last year and became fit for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

In the IPL too, he faced ire of fans as he quit Gujarat Titans and replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians skipper.

After India's title win, Pandya spoke about the criticism he faced in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and said: "It's very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted."

"Special for me after my 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," added the star all-rounder.

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Prashant Talreja

Prashant Talreja is an Assistant Editor at WION, specializing in sports: cricket, tennis, golf, football, etc. With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Talreja has pr...Read More