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Hardik Pandya: news, facts and key points

2 stories · latest 25 Oct 2026 · View the player page

Key points from the latest coverage

Gautam Gambhir Builds a Three-Player Plan to Cover Hardik Pandya’s T20 Role

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in Christchurch on October 24, chasing 181 with one ball remaining to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Tilak Varma made an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls, while Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 26 not out from 13 deliveries in the chase.
Naman Dhir contributed 31 off 17 balls before India completed the chase.
The three players offer different parts of Hardik Pandya’s role: Dhir brings lower-order hitting and off-spin, Tilak offers middle-order control, and Reddy provides seam bowling alongside batting.
India’s unbroken 69-run seventh-wicket stand between Tilak and Reddy sealed the second T20I win.

S Sharath Says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Still Matter as India Plans Team Transition

S Sharath’s five-year tenure as chairman of the junior selection committee ended on October 23, 2026, after three years as a senior selector.
Sharath said Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s presence still matters and that younger players can learn from them.
He described Rohit as a captain who treated players equally and looked after those outside the playing XI.
Sharath said selection decisions should consider overall cricket, domestic performances, IPL contributions and conditions rather than one tournament alone.
During Sharath’s junior-panel tenure, India won the 2022 and 2024 Under-19 World Cups.

Did you know? Facts about Hardik Pandya

India were 70/5 in the 11th over while chasing 181 before the lower order recovered. Read the story →
Tilak and Reddy’s unbeaten 69-run partnership became India’s highest seventh-wicket stand in T20Is, according to the ICC. Read the story →
Naman Dhir’s 31 off 17 came after India had lost five wickets and helped restore momentum. Read the story →
The trio’s combined approach is not a like-for-like replacement: none individually offers Pandya’s full blend of pace bowling, middle-over control and power hitting. Read the story →
Sharath’s selection career included three years on the senior panel and five years leading the junior committee. Read the story →
Sharath recalled that India’s 2022 Under-19 World Cup campaign began after a Bangladesh tri-series defeat before the team won the Asia Cup and World Cup. Read the story →
He highlighted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s simple batting thought process at age 14 as a reason for selecting him for the Under-19 World Cup. Read the story →

All stories on Hardik Pandya

Gautam Gambhir Builds a Three-Player Plan to Cover Hardik Pandya’s T20 Role

Gautam Gambhir is using Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy to share parts of Hardik Pandya’s all-round role, a practical solution as India manage the star’s fitness and squad balance.

S Sharath Says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Still Matter as India Plans Team Transition

Former selector S Sharath says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain important to India’s team environment, while stressing that selection must balance individual roles, conditions and overall team composition.

Also in the news with Hardik Pandya

India New Zealand Tilak Varma Tilak Varma Naman Dhir Nitish Kumar Reddy Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli