Hardik Himanshu Pandya India Allrounder

Allrounder Hardik Pandya's calling cards brisk seam bowling and powerful ball-striking marked by the ability to hit sixes from the first ball.

Hardik, who plays his domestic cricket for Baroda, first caught the eye with an unbeaten 31-ball 61 for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2015 IPL.

That began a long association with Mumbai, where he won four trophies and gained acclaim as a formidable finisher. By the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup, he had come to be seen as a future India captain, thanks to the leadership skills he showed that year in turning an unfancied Gujarat Titans line-up into IPL champions in their first year of existence.

Hardik began his India career in 2016 when he was called up for a limited-overs tour to Australia, before impressing with the ball on seamer-friendly pitches in Bangladesh at the Asia Cup.

 He appeared to be the answer to India's search for a seam-bowling allrounder, and with his sprightly fielding added to the mix, he sealed his spot in India's squad for that year's T20 World Cup.

While Hardik batted only twice in the tournament, he bowled the last over against Bangladesh, defending two runs off three balls to help India to a one-run win.