India all-rounder Hardik Pandya explained the reason behind his celebration after dismissing Jacob Bethell during the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Pandya’s direct delivery at the striker’s end in the final over of England’s chase brought an end to Bethell’s innings of 102. After his dismissal, the 32-year-old responded with a lively celebration and tried to lift the team’s energy. Pandya later said that the reaction came because his son Agastya and girlfriend Mahieka Sharma were watching the match from the stands and he wanted them to experience his emotions at that moment.
India departs from Mumbai to Ahmedabad | Team India is heading into the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand
“The clutch one is Hardik Pandya,” the all-rounder said in a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on X. “You see, there are two ways in life. I could have set my heart racing and I wouldn’t have been able to do it. So I went into my Zen mode. Pretty amazing that instead of my heart rate going up,” I told Panamdy, still proud.“The one batsman I had to get off the field was Bethell as he was batting. I knew I had to stay calm and bowl it where it was supposed to go. I would have liked it a little closer to the stumps, but we still managed it,” Hardik said in a video released by BCCI on X.“The reaction was also because my son came and I wanted my son and Mahieka to enjoy the moment and feel how emotional I was,” he added.Pandya also hit the ball before running out. He conceded nine runs in the 19th over and took the wicket of Sam Curran, who was trying to speed up the scoring but was caught at mid-wicket.Pandya said he focused on staying calm before bowling.“There are two ways in life. My heart could have been racing and I wasn’t able to execute, so I went into my zen mode. It’s pretty amazing that instead of my heart racing, I stayed calm. I’m really proud of that,” said Hardik.For his performance, Pandya was named the impact player of the match in the dressing room after the match.India will take on New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
