Hardik Pandya Sets New T20 World Cup Record with Stellar Performance Against Zimbabwe
Hardik Pandya's Record-Breaking Performance
On February 26, Hardik Pandya made headlines by leading India to a crucial 71-run victory over Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, keeping India's hopes alive for a semi-final spot in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The all-rounder was named Player of the Match for the second time in this tournament, scoring an impressive 50 runs off just 23 balls, featuring two fours and four sixes, achieving a remarkable strike rate of 217.38. His performance contributed to India's record total of 256 runs, marking the highest score for the nation in T20 World Cup history and the second-highest overall in the tournament.
Historic Achievement by Hardik Pandya
Hardik has made history by becoming the first player to score four half-centuries in T20 World Cup matches while batting at number five or lower, breaking a four-way tie. He has reached this milestone twice in the current edition, having also done so against Namibia. Previously, he scored half-centuries in both the 2024 and 2022 tournaments. Before Hardik, only three players had managed three half-centuries while batting after the fall of the third wicket in the tournament's history. Shoaib Malik was the first to achieve this, with David Miller recently joining the ranks during his match-winning innings against India last week.
Most Half-Centuries from Number Five or Below in T20 World Cup
| Player | Innings | 50s |
| Hardik Pandya (India) | 21 | 4 |
| David Miller (South Africa) | 24 | 3 |
| Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) | 24 | 3 |
| Marcus Stoinis (Australia) | 16 | 3 |
| Harry Brook (England) | 12 | 2 |
| JP Duminy (South Africa) | 15 | 2 |
| B Manenti (Italy) | 3 | 2 |
| Angelo Matthews (Sri Lanka) | 23 | 2 |
| Misbah-Ul-Haq (Pakistan) | 17 | 2 |
| Eoin Morgan (England) | 16 | 2 |
| Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies) | 11 | 2 |
| David Wiese | 15 | 2 |
In total, Hardik has achieved nine half-centuries in T20 internationals, all while batting at number five or lower, tying him for the most in history alongside David Miller and Malta's Varun Thamotharam. Mohammad Nabi, Rovman Powell, and Dasun Shanaka follow closely with seven half-centuries each. Additionally, Hardik has surpassed 500 runs in T20 World Cup history, ranking among the top 44 players to do so. Only Shakib Al Hasan (50) and Shahid Afridi (39) have more wickets than him, while he leads all fast bowlers with 29 wickets, ahead of Dwayne Bravo (27) and Shane Watson (22).