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A former India selector says Pandya and Bumrah will likely be India’s ‘trump cards’ in the event that they hope to do well on the T20 World Cup.
Hardik Pandya adds balance to India’s white-ball teams. (PTI Photo)
Hard-hitting batter, wicket-taking bowler and gun fielder. Hardik Pandya is all three rolled into one. Pandya can determine the final result of matches on his own and lends balance to Team India. At the continuing T20 World Cup, the all-rounder has already made an impact – each with the ball and the bat, having struck 85 runs at a strike-rate of 155 and brought five wickets while maintaining an economy of seven.9.
No wonder former selector Jatin Paranjpe reckons that Pandya’s presence pushes the team to a special level.
“The guy who takes this Indian team to a special level altogether is Hardik Pandya. Without him, this Indian team is half pretty much as good because it is with him in it. Hardik’s improvement over the past 12 months has shown that he’s just so focused on his game. He isn’t letting the skin chatter get to him in any respect,” Paranjpe told news agency IANS.
Pandya has 2158 runs and 110 wickets from 133 T20Is for India.
“He has been through a lot in his personal life as well. But he’s one player, and I’m an enormous fan of his for that, who has improved tremendously with the bat, with the ball, with the sphere, and together with his body. So, Hardik is the important thing to India’s fortunes,” Paranjpe said.
Paranjpe feels that Pandya and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will likely be the ‘trump cards’ for India in the event that they hope to do well within the World Cup.
“Together with Hardik, in keeping with me, Jasprit Bumrah can also be going to be in top form. I actually have noticed him, he’s looking leaner, he has lost weight, he’s looking fitter. These are the tournaments for nice players like him and great all-rounders like Hardik to actually come to the party and get it done when it matters most,” he said.
“So, in keeping with me, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are going to be two trump cards for India. If India has to do well and win the World Cup, each these guys may have to be in prime form,” he added.
India won all their 4 matches of Group A to qualify for the Super 8 and because of the tournament pre-seedings, find themselves pooled alongside fellow unbeaten teams South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe for the subsequent phase.
“I believe India are putting some serious distance between themselves and the competition going into the Super 8. The primary game is with South Africa, but I believe, no matter the opposition, this Indian setup just looks really strong, despite the three geese in a row from what was their biggest weapon, Abhishek Sharma,” Paranjape said.
February 22, 2026, 13:12 IST
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