Hardik Pandya delivered a timely reminder of his all-round value at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, backing up his words with a dominant performance that underlined both form and fitness. The opposition may not have been among the tournament favourites, but Pandya’s impact with bat and ball carried weight.
A fluent 52, packed with four sixes and four boundaries, followed by disciplined bowling figures of 2/21, earned him the Player of the Match and injected momentum into India’s campaign ahead of the high-voltage clash against Pakistan.
What stood out was the absence of rust. Pandya looked sharp in his movement, decisive in his shot selection, and confident in his execution. His innings stabilised India at a key moment before accelerating the scoring rate, while his spells with the ball provided crucial breakthroughs that prevented any late resistance. For a player whose career has often been punctuated by injury setbacks, this was a statement of readiness when it matters most.
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Post-match, Pandya opened up about the work that goes into keeping his body tournament-ready. He described his preparation as intense and structured, likening it to an “army camp” routine with double training sessions designed to build endurance, strength and resilience. For Pandya, fitness is not just about availability; it is about being able to perform at peak intensity across disciplines under World Cup pressure.
Hardik Pandya said:
“A lot of work goes behind the scene for where I am. I go into army sort of a camp where I do morning, evening sessions… make sure I eat well, make sure I sleep well, make sure my habits are good.” pic.twitter.com/NGFNqLhAlu
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) February 12, 2026
“Body has been fantastic. I have always mentioned it takes a lot of hard work, which I cherish. But playing for the country has always been a pride, always been my number one priority,” Hardik Pandya said at the presentation.
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“It does need extra hard work. A lot of work goes behind the scenes where I go into an army sort of a camp with morning and evening sessions, which keeps me going,” he added.
Pandya also credited his performance to meticulous preparation in the lead-up to the tournament, noting that when his batting clicks, it lifts the team’s ceiling. With India eyeing consistency in crunch games, a fully fit and firing Hardik Pandya could be the difference-maker as the World Cup heats up.
