Supremely confident and one who plays for the masses — that’s Hardik Pandya 101. The flamboyant all-rounder, while fashioning India’s 101-run win over South Africa in Cuttack, reached 99 wickets and 100 sixes in T20Is.

These numbers convey an obvious fact. A fit and rearing Hardik will give India the freedom to bat deep without compromising on the bowling front. While Hardik’s uninhibited batting smashes constraints, his mere presence gives the skipper a seamer capable of bowling in any phase of the innings.

India went with two front-line pacers in Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the first T20I, meaning Hardik was employed after the PowerPlay. He found success too, removing David Miller off his first delivery. He has also been used in the first six overs and in the death overs consistently.

Decent returns

This is the luxury Hardik provides. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, Hardik has bowled in the first six overs in 17 T20Is. An economy of 7.42 while scalping five wickets in 168 balls is decent returns from your premier all-rounder. His middle-over numbers since July 2024 read: eight matches, 84 balls, two wickets at 8.14 rpo.

Arshdeep (nine scalps) is the only Indian pacer to take more wickets than Hardik (eight) in the death overs since the 2024 T20 extravaganza. Hardik’s economy rate in the phase stands at 9.53 rpo after dishing out 78 balls in 10 matches.

Hardik is the main character when he wields the bat, and he is equally good at playing the support role with the ball in hand.

“Life has thrown a lot of lemons at me, I’ve always thought I’ll make a lemonade,” Hardik told bcci.tv.

What’s on the menu for Thursday? Only Hardik knows!