Hardik Pandya creates history, becomes first-ever India player to achieve this incredible record in T20 World Cup

Hardik Pandya, on Saturday (June 22), enjoyed a brilliant outing with both bat and ball as India thrashed Bangladesh by 50 runs in their second Super 8 game of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The India vice-captain scored an unbeaten fifty and picked up a wicket as well. Batting first, India were reeling at 108 for 4 when Hardik Pandya came out to bat. He started cautiously and let his partner Shivam Dube take the attack to Bangladesh.

At the end of the 17th over, the India allrounder was batting on 20 runs off 15 balls before shifting gears in the last two overs after Dube's dismissal. He completed his fifty off 27 balls on the very last ball of the innings. Pandya's 50-run knock was studded with 4 fours and 3 sixes.

Later, he made a huge impact with the ball as well. After the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah could not strike early, Pandya gave India the first breakthrough in the fifth over by dismissing Litton Das. 

Thanks to the all-round show, Pandya created history as well. He became the very first Indian player to complete a double of 300 runs and 20 wickets in the T20 World Cup. Pandya has scored 302 runs with the help of two fifties in 21 matches in the T20 World Cup so far. At the same time, he has also picked up 21 wickets in those games.

The other players to score 300-plus runs and take more than 20 wickets in the T20 World Cup are Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (546 runs and 39 wickets in 34 games), Bangladesh's Shakib al Hasan (853 runs and 50 wickets in 42 wickets), West Indies' Dwayne Bravo (530 runs and 27 wickets in 27 wickets), and Australia's Shane Watson (537 runs and 22 wickets in 24 matches).

We've played good cricket: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant outing in the game. Speaking at the end of the game, the India star expressed his delight over the way the team has performed in the tournament so far and also spoke about his return to international cricket after the long injury layoff.

"We have played really good cricket. More than anything we have stuck together and executed our plans. I did realise the batters wanted to use the breeze, I made sure I did not give them a chance where the wind was blowing, it was about being one step ahead as a batter.

"We as a group can get better in a lot of places, losing wickets in bunches is something we can rectify and get better at, apart from that, we are looking good. I have been fortunate to play for the country, it was a freak injury I had, I wanted to come back but God had other plans. Luck comes to people who work hard and that has stuck with me for a long time," said Pandya.