Hardik Pandya facts for kids
Pandya in 2024
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Hardik Himanshu Pandya
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 October 1993 Choryasi, Gujarat, India |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Kung Fu Pandya, Hairy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 289) | 26 July 2017 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 30 August 2018 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 215) | 16 October 2016 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 9 March 2025 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 33 (formerly 11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 58) | 26 January 2016 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 18 February 2026 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 33 (formerly 11, 228) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–present | Baroda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2021, 2024–present | Mumbai Indians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Gujarat Titans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 24 January 2026
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hardik Himanshu Pandya (born 11 October 1993) is a famous Indian international cricketer. He plays for the Indian cricket team. Hardik is known as an all-rounder, which means he is great at both batting and bowling. He bats right-handed in the middle of the batting order and bowls fast-medium with his right arm. Many people think he is one of the best all-rounders in the world, especially in shorter cricket games (called white-ball cricket).
Hardik Pandya made history as the first fast-bowling all-rounder in T20Is to score over 1,000 runs and take over 100 wickets. He is the captain of the Mumbai Indians team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also plays for the Baroda team in India's domestic cricket. Hardik has also led the Indian team in white-ball cricket and was the vice-captain when India won the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Contents
Hardik's Early Life
Hardik was born on 11 October 1993 in Choryasi, Surat, Gujarat. When he was five, his family moved to Vadodara. His father, Himanshu Pandya, wanted his sons to have better cricket training. Hardik and his brother Krunal Pandya joined Kiran More's cricket academy. The family faced financial challenges, living in a rented home. Hardik left school after ninth grade to focus completely on his cricket dream.
Hardik quickly became a strong player in junior cricket. His brother, Krunal, said Hardik often won games by himself for his club team. Hardik once mentioned that he was very expressive and showed his feelings openly. This sometimes led to him being left out of state teams when he was younger.
Interestingly, Hardik started as a leg spinner! But when he was 18, his coach at the Baroda team, Sanath Kumar, encouraged him to try fast bowling. And that's what he became famous for!
Playing for Domestic Teams
Hardik started playing for the Baroda in 2013. He was a key player when Baroda won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the 2013–14 season. In January 2016, he hit eight sixes in one game! He scored 86 runs without being out, helping Baroda win against Vidarbha.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Hardik played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL from 2015 to 2021. In a very important match in 2015, he scored 61 runs from just 31 balls. This helped Mumbai Indians win and earned him a 'man of the match' award.
Before the 2022 IPL season, Hardik joined a new team, the Gujarat Titans, and became their captain. He led them to win their very first IPL title in 2022! This was a huge achievement. In the IPL 2023 season, he led the Gujarat Titans to the final again, but they lost a close match to Chennai Super Kings.
Return to Mumbai Indians: IPL 2024
In November 2023, Hardik returned to the Mumbai Indians team. He became the new captain, taking over from Rohit Sharma. The 2024 season was a tough one for the Mumbai Indians. They did not make it to the playoffs, finishing last in the league. Hardik scored 216 runs and took 11 wickets during this season.
Hardik's International Career
Playing in T20 Internationals
Hardik played his first Twenty20 International (T20I) match for India on 27 January 2016. He was 22 years old and took 2 wickets against Australia. His first T20I wicket was Chris Lynn. In a match against Sri Lanka, he scored 27 runs very quickly. During the 2016 Asia Cup, Hardik scored 31 runs off just 18 balls against Bangladesh. He also took a wicket to help India win. In another match against Pakistan, he took 3 wickets for only 8 runs, which was his best bowling performance at the time. In the 2016 World Twenty20, Hardik took two very important wickets in the final over against Bangladesh, helping India win by just one run!
On 8 July 2018, Hardik had his best T20I bowling performance, taking 4 wickets against England. In the same match, he scored 33 runs very quickly and hit a six to win the game! He was the first Indian player to take 4 wickets and score more than 30 runs in a single T20I match.
Hardik was part of India's team for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. He scored some runs but didn't bowl much during the tournament. After this, he was not selected for the next T20I series.
In June 2022, Hardik was chosen to be India's captain for T20I matches against Ireland.
On 7 July 2022, Hardik scored his first T20I half-century, making 51 runs against England. He also took 4 wickets in that match. This made him the first Indian player to score a half-century and take 4 wickets in the same T20I game!
2024 T20 World Cup Success
Hardik was the vice-captain for India in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. India won the tournament, and Hardik played a big part! He took 11 wickets and scored 144 runs. In the exciting final match, he took 3 important wickets. After the tournament, Hardik became the first Indian all-rounder to be ranked number 1 in the T20I player rankings.
Playing in ODI Matches
Hardik played his first One Day International (ODI) match for India on 16 October 2016 against New Zealand. He was named 'player of the match' in his very first ODI! He scored 36 runs in that game. In the ICC Champions Trophy, Hardik once hit three sixes in a row. In the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, he scored a quick 76 runs, even though India didn't win that match.
His great performance in 2017 led to him being chosen for the 'ODI Team of the Year' by ESPNcricinfo.
Hardik was part of India's team for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On 27 June 2019, he played his 50th ODI match against the West Indies.
On 17 July 2022, Hardik had his best ODI bowling figures, taking 4 wickets for only 24 runs against England. In the same match, he also scored 71 runs. This made him the first Indian player since Yuvraj Singh in 2011 to score a half-century and take 4 wickets in an ODI.
Playing in Test Cricket
Hardik was chosen for India's Test team in late 2016 but got injured. He finally played his first Test match on 26 July 2017 in Galle against Sri Lanka. In his third Test match against Sri Lanka, Hardik scored his first Test century (100 runs)! He also set a record for scoring the most runs in a single over for India in a Test match, hitting 26 runs.
Hardik's Personal Life
.jpg)
Hardik's brother, Krunal, is also a cricketer who has played for India and the Mumbai Indians. Sadly, their father, Himanshu Pandya, passed away in January 2021.
Hardik got engaged to dancer and actress Nataša Stanković on 1 January 2020. They welcomed their first child, a boy named Agastya Pandya, on 30 July 2020. On 14 February 2023, the couple renewed their wedding vows in a ceremony in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
