NEW DELHI: From being jeered to being cheered by the Wankhede crowd,
Hardik Pandya
's fortunes took a remarkable turn after the all-rounder bowled a match-winning last over in the
T20 World Cup
final against South Africa last week.
Hardik had become the centre of criticism following Mumbai Indians' decision to appoint him as the franchise captain in place of
Rohit Sharma
.
Hardik bore the brunt of fans' ire after the team's disappointing performance in the IPL 2024.
Massive crowds gathered at the Wankhede Stadium to greet the victorious T20 World Cup team led by Rohit Sharma. The air reverberated with the chants of 'Hardik, Hardik' as the fans expressed their adoration for the star all-rounder.
The 30-year-old handed telling blows to South Africa in the T20 World Cup final on July 29 by dismissing half-centurion
Heinrich Klaasen
and David Miller in his 3/20 effort.
Pandya's contributions throughout the tournament were crucial for his team's success. His batting performances in the lower order were brief but effective, accumulating 144 runs at an impressive strike-rate exceeding 150.
His bowling prowess was equally significant, as he consistently provided breakthroughs at critical junctures when his team required them the most. His bowling efforts yielded 11 wickets over the course of the tournament.
His best performance came in the final when he triggered a dramatic South African collapse after the Proteas needed 30 runs from 30 balls with Klaasen in full flow.
Pandya gave the decisive blow by dismissing Klaasen in the first ball of the 17th over.
He went on to bowl the tense final over and defended 16 runs to help India pip South Africa by seven runs and win their second T20 World Cup title.
On the back of his good performance in the World Cup, Pandya rose two places to become the first Indian to occupy the number one spot in the ICC's T20I all-rounders' rankings on Wednesday.
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