Hardik Pandya ready to destroy Rohit Sharma’s all-time T20I record

Indian veteran all-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the finest T20 cricketers of his generation. The batter Pandya has 2000+ runs in international T20s, while the bowler too has 100+ scalps to his name, and now it's time for the fielder Pandya to heighten the stakes.

India, over the past decade, have become an almost invincible dominance in the shortest format of the game and have given birth to some of the modern-day superstars in the format. One among such cricketers is India's Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya made his debut for India back in 2016 in the shortest format of the game. It was the game against Australia in Adelaide that he made his debut and turned out to be an inevitable part of the T20I side. However, injuries have limited his number of appearances for India.

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Hardik Pandya nearing Rohit Sharma's massive T20I record

The Indian all-rounder has played in 134 international T20I matches for India in the shortest format of the game. This is the most he has played in all three formats so far for India. A maestro in his format, Pandya is not only known as an explosive batter and a handy pacer but also as an electrifying fielder.

Rohit Sharma, the former Indian skipper, retired in 2024, calling an end to his illustrious T20 career. In 159 appearances for India in the shortest format, he caught a total of 65 catches, making it the most by an Indian fielder in T20Is.

Rohit often fielded in the 30-yard circle and was known to be one of the safest pairs of hands throughout his career, especially during his younger days, when he was considered one of the quickest fielders for India. Pandya is now on the verge of going past the former captain on the list of most catches for India in T20Is.

Most Catches in T20Is for India:

1. Rohit Sharma - 65

2. Hardik Pandya - 64*

3. Suryakumar Yadav - 57*

4. Virat Kohli - 54

5. Suresh Raina - 42

Hardik Pandya is two catches away from breaking Rohit Sharma's record ⚡ pic.twitter.com/mSXkuHp4de

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 25, 2026

Rinku Singh and Tilka Varma—'Ball Magnets' for India on the field

Out of most names that are on the above-mentioned list, they are either former players who had illustrious careers for India or current players who have been playing for a long time for the Men in Blue. But two names do not fall into any of these categories.

Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma are the two young cricketers who made their debuts for India back in 2023 and have both played 45 matches for the Men in Blue and already feature on the list. This proves their excellence on the field.

Both of them have been absolute 'ball magnets' for India, especially Rinku Singh, who can often be seen almost covering an entire part of the ground's circumference on his own. Ever since MS Dhoni introduced the policy of 'fielders winning matches,' India have been selective about players with the best fielding skills.

Hardik Pandya's T20 stats

Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, has played 134 T20I matches. In those games, he has been out to bat on 105 occasions and scored 2176 runs at an average of 27.89 and a strike rate of nearly 144.80. He has 8 half-centuries to his name.

With the ball in hand, Pandya picked up a total of 110 wickets, as he became the third player from India with 100+ wickets in the T20I format. On the field, he has taken 64 catches, which include some of his most acrobatic fielding efforts over the past few years.

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