Hardik Pandya dismisses leading India in T20 World Cup 2026 while praising Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Team India all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya paid tribute to veteran cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following their retirements from T20I cricket. Hardik Pandya stated that the victory during the T20 World Cup 2024 final match was the best farewell Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could have received.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20 internationals after defeating South Africa in the final match of the recently concluded tournament. The news came as a bittersweet moment for fans, who celebrated India's World Cup victory but were saddened by the retirement announcements.

The Indian cricket team ended a 13-year wait for a World Cup title by securing a thrilling victory over South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. The Men in Blue secured a seven-wicket win at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. India clinched their first ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

There Is A Lot Of Time For 2026 - Hardik Pandya

Speaking to reporters after the match, Hardik Pandya described Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as "two giants and legends of Indian cricket." Pandya stated that the focus should be on celebrating Rohit and Kohli's illustrious careers rather than discussing the prospect of leading the team in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“There is a lot of time for 2026. I am very happy for both Rohit and Virat… two giants and legends of Indian cricket thoroughly deserved this. It has been so amazing playing with them for so many years. We all will miss them but at the same point, this is the best farewell we can give them. They have been legends in all the formats and I’m really happy for them to end like this and enjoy and keep this memory for the rest of their lives,” Pandya said.

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Hardik Pandya is expected to lead India's T20I team. Pandya had an impressive tournament, scoring 144 runs in 8 games at an average of 48, and taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.64. He played a crucial role in the final, particularly his wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, which shifted the momentum in India's favor.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Impressive Performances In T20Is

Rohit Sharma is the highest scorer in T20 internationals. The right-handed batter scored 4231 runs in 159 T20I matches at an average of 31.34 and a strike rate of 140.89. The 37-year-old holds the record for the most centuries (five) in T20Is. He won the 2007 World Cup under the captaincy of MS Dhoni in 2007.

Virat Kohli is the second-highest T20I run scorer with 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an impressive average of 48.7 and a decent strike rate of 137.04. The 35-year-old batter is also the leading run-getter in T20 World Cup history, having scored 1,292 runs at an impressive average of 58.72, including 15 half-centuries.

Also read: "End of an era" - Mohammed Shami pens a heartwarming message after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's T20I retirement