Hardik Pandya (ICC photo) NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya reflected on his journey from battling personal issues to winning trophies for India in the T20 World Cup. The star all-rounder said winning the 2026 title in Ahmedabad was a confirmation of the promise he had made – to play every tournament with the aim of winning trophies for India.Pandya had earlier spoken of seeking redemption during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he staged a strong comeback and helped India end a 17-year wait for the title.
Ahmedabad erupts as Team India arrives at the hotel after winning the T20 World Cup
“When we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, I personally faced a lot of problems. A lot of things happened before this tournament and things didn’t go my way. Before the start of the 2024 World Cup, I decided to go for redemption. I wanted to make a dominant comeback. I did it and helped my team win the trophy after 17 years in the World Cup. something I’ve always lived for, I’m playing cricket to do well for my country and win trophies, I want to win all trophies for India,” said Hardik Pandya on JioStar.“After the win in Barbados, I promised myself that in any tournament I will play to win and lift the trophy. This win against New Zealand in Ahmedabad is confirmation that the promise I made has come true. And this is just the beginning,” he added.India defeated the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand national cricket team by a huge margin of 96 runs to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. With the win, India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first team to win back-to-back titles after their 2024 triumph and the first team to lift the trophy three times – in 2007, 2024 and 2026.Pandya enjoyed an impressive campaign in the 2026 tournament. The 32-year-old scored 217 runs in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and a strike rate of 160.74, including two half-centuries. He also contributed with the ball, taking nine wickets in nine matches with best figures of 2/16.
