IND vs SA 2025: Hardik Pandya’s Big T20I Achievement, Joins Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma in Elite Record List
Hardik Pandya hits 100th T20I six and blasts 58 off 28 balls in Cuttack to lift India in a tough first T20I vs South Africa.
Hardik Pandya lit up the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack with a fearless half-century that carried India through a tricky innings on a slow pitch.
The Indian captain became the fourth Indian to hit 100 sixes in T20Is during his knock. He joined Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli on India’s elite six-hitters list. Hardik reached the mark with a cut off Anrich Nortje that also brought up his fifty.
Most of the Indian lineup found it hard to score freely on the two-paced surface. Hardik looked in total control though. He smashed 58 off just 28 balls with six fours and four sixes at a strike rate of over 210. His knock stood out because the rest of the batters together scored only 103 runs from 92 balls.
India went in with three specialist bowlers in Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh. They also used three all-rounders in Hardik, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel to strengthen both departments. The balance helped them handle the slow pitch but the big hitting came mainly from Hardik.
South Africa fielded a strong side with Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller and Donovan Ferreira. They were backed by Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi and Nortje. Markram chose to bowl first because of expected dew and the surface showed uneven pace early on.
Hardik’s clean hitting lifted the mood in the Indian camp. His innings gave India the push they needed in the middle overs. It also reminded fans why he is seen as a key finisher in India’s T20 plan. Speaking after the innings, a teammate was heard saying, “When Hardik gets going, the whole game changes.”
Indian Players With Most Sixes in T20Is:
- Rohit Sharma: 205 sixes in 151 innings
- Suryakumar Yadav: 155 sixes in 90 innings
- Virat Kohli: 124 sixes in 117 innings
- Hardik Pandya: 100 sixes in 95 innings
- KL Rahul: 99 sixes in 68 innings
This knock will give India confidence as the series begins. On a night where timing the ball was tough, Hardik’s attack made the biggest difference for the team.
