Hardik Pandya, the cheat code India used to raise the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy

There’s a reason Cameron Green was paid INR 25.20 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction. Why do Shardul Thakur or Nitish Kumar Reddy find a spot in a Test XI ahead of a proper bowler or batter? All-rounders, even not-so-good ones, always remain in demand.

Despite the emergence of the impact player rule in the IPL, good all-rounders remain relevant. They are cricket’s true 3-dimensional players. But they are hard to find, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Australia hasn’t had one since Shane Watson. India waited for 20 overs after Kapil Dev retired.

The importance of an all-rounder can’t be higher at this moment. In the ever-evolving T20 cricket, teams don’t play more than 3 bowlers. It means they need to rely on all-rounders and part-timers for at least 8 overs. That’s one of the reasons Team India won the T20 World Cup 2026. Because they had the greatest white-ball all-rounder of the 21st century: Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya: India’s real MVP

When the all-rounder from Baroda features for India, they have 12 players, not 11. He truly possesses the ability to win matches with the bat and ball. He can swing the ball up top. Hit the deck in the middle overs and nail the death overs. With the bat, he can anchor the innings, hit spin and pace alike, and play the role of a finisher.

He’s showcased his ability throughout the T20 World Cup. He was India’s 5th highest scorer and wicket-taker in the tournament. In ESPNcricinfo’s most valuable player metric, he ranked 7th. Three Indians, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ishan Kishan, were placed above him. But were they?

As mentioned above, Pandya opened the bowling for India throughout the tournament. He usually batted at five but was promoted to four at times. Axar Patel, another all-rounder, hardly batted and often came in later to bowl when the game was in control. Other than him, no one came close to what Pandya did.

Kishan and Samson could score as many runs on that Wankhede pitch in the semifinal against England, but without Pandya’s penultimate over, India wouldn’t have won. Bumrah did the heavy lifting, but without Pandya, there was no match. Not to forget that he ran Jacob Bethell out and had already played a 27-run cameo.

Hardik Pandya in T20 World Cup 2026

He wasn’t named the ‘player of the match’ in the semifinal. Bumrah wasn’t either. Yet, in that game, it was bowling that mattered, and he gave just 5 runs more than Bumrah. He was the second most economical bowler that day, and actually, he’s India’s 5th bowling option.

Pandya’s impact can’t really be measured. Without him, India neither has batting depth nor quality bowling options. He’s the most vital cog in India’s well-oiled machinery. Move him, and all’s over. He wasn’t at his best with the bat, yet, when the time came, he stood up. Suryakumar Yadav even credited him for bringing that experience and helping the youngsters in the team. If there’s one MVP, it’s Pandya, and it’s not even close.