Dharamsala, Dec 15: India’s premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya etched his name into the record books on Sunday by completing 100 wickets in T20 Internationals, becoming only the third Indian to reach the landmark in the shortest format of the game.Pandya achieved the milestone during the T20I against South Africa, returning economical figures of 1 for 23 from his three overs to take his overall tally to exactly 100 wickets. The feat came in his 123rd appearance, with Pandya maintaining an average of 26.78, alongside three four-wicket hauls and a career-best performance of 4 for 16.
With this achievement, Pandya joined fellow Indians Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah in the exclusive club of Indian bowlers with 100 or more T20I wickets. However, his contribution extends far beyond his bowling, underlining his value as a genuine match-winning all-rounder in the format.The milestone also placed Pandya in an elite global group of players to complete a rare T20I triple — 1,000 or more runs, 100 or more sixes and 100 or more wickets. In doing so, he joined Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh, highlighting the all-round excellence required to reach such a benchmark.
With the bat, Pandya has amassed 1,939 runs in 122 T20I matches at an average of 28.10 and an impressive strike rate of 141.53. His tally includes six half-centuries and 101 sixes, reflecting his role as a destructive middle-order batter capable of changing the course of a game in a matter of overs.
Pandya’s latest milestone further cements his standing as one of India’s most influential white-ball cricketers, combining power-hitting with reliable seam bowling to make a lasting impact in international T20 cricket.