Kamal Ghorui
Hardik Pandya etched his name deeper into India’s T20I history during the second match of the ongoing five-game series against New Zealand, overtaking Virat Kohli to become the country’s second-most capped player in the format. The all-rounder turned out for India in his 126th T20 international, moving past Kohli, who finished his T20I career with 125 appearances. Only former captain Rohit Sharma, who played 159 T20Is before retiring from the format in 2024, sits above Pandya on the list.
Pandya’s longevity in the shortest format has been underlined by his impact with both bat and ball. Across his 126 appearances, he has scored 2,027 runs at an average of 28.54, with a highest score of an unbeaten 71. With the ball, he has picked up 102 wickets at an average of 26.85, his best figures being 4 for 16. The milestone places Pandya in an elite club, with only four Indian players having featured in more than 100 T20 internationals. Apart from Pandya, the list includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Pandya also made useful contributions in the series opener against New Zealand, scoring a brisk 25 off 16 balls and returning figures of 2 for 20 from two overs. The opening match of the series had earlier seen Suryakumar Yadav reach a landmark of his own, as the India captain became the fourth Indian cricketer to play 100 T20Is. Suryakumar has scored 2,788 runs in 93 innings at an average of 35.29, including four centuries and 21 half-centuries, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer in the format.
