Hardik Pandya of India (Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images) India’s premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya is approaching a major T20I milestone as he prepares for the five-match series against South Africa starting on December 9. The 32-year-old has a chance to complete the rare double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets in the shortest format. Pandya enters the contest needing 140 more runs to reach the 2000-run mark in T20 Internationals. With the ball, he is just two wickets short of becoming only the second Indian to take 100 T20I wickets. He is currently India’s third highest wicket-taker in the format with 98 scalps at an average of 26.58. With the bat, he scored 1,860 runs from 120 matches at an average of 27.35 with a strike rate of 141.01, including five half-centuries.
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He returns to the national team after a quadriceps injury cut short his 2025 Asia Cup campaign, ruling him out of the title-winning final against Pakistan and the subsequent white-ball tour of Australia. Pandya proved his mettle in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he smashed a 42-ball 77 to help Baroda chase down Punjab in a thriller. His availability is a significant boost for India as they approach the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The series against the Proteas begins in Cuttack on Tuesday, followed by matches in Mullanpur on December 11, Dharamsala on December 14, Lucknow on December 17 and Ahmedabad on December 19.India Squad for T20I Series vs SA: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshiteep Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Har Washington.Note: * Subject to eligibility approval from BCCI COE.
