Art of leading from the front: India MVP Hardik Pandya overshadows SKY as T20 World Cup looms

Why Hardik is India's real MVP [Source: AFP Photo]

The T20 World Cup is still a couple of months away, but planning has already begun for the Indian team, as the Men in Blue will enter the tournament as defending champions. The team has almost all the boxes ticked, barring a couple, and the ongoing South Africa series provides them a chance to fill in the last-minute loopholes.

The Men in Blue defeated South Africa in the first T20I, and the credit should be given to the returning Hardik Pandya. The star all-rounder rescued India from a precarious position and scored a whirlwind fifty to help the team post a competitive total.

He also scalped a solitary wicket to bag the Player of the Match award. In the same game, Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain continued his woeful form and this is an alarming signal before the T20 World Cup. The year 2025 has been dismal for SKY with the bat, and there is a reason why Hardik is India's key player heading into the T20 World Cup and not Suryakumar.

Suryakumar Yadav's dismal run with the bat in 2025

(SKY in T20Is this year)

• This year has been dismal for SKY in the T20Is. Interestingly, IPL 2025 was his best season in the league, as he performed consistently across 15 games; however, for some reason, that form was not carried forward into international matches.
• Just 196 runs in 18 matches with a strike rate of 126 defined his year, and this was the first time in SKY’s career that his strike rate went down below 150 in a calendar year.
• As a captain, he should lead from the front with the bat, but he has failed to deliver the goods, and this is where Hardik Pandya comes into equation.

What makes Hardik Pandya the real MVP in T20Is

Hardik’s career has been marred with injuries, and despite him missing a lot of games, Team India has failed to find his replacement in the T20Is. They tried Venkatesh Iyer, a couple of years ago, they also brought in Nitish Kumar Reddy recently, but no one was able to replace Hardik.

India only has one genuine quality all-rounder, and Hardik proved his class in the last match against the South African side. Plus, his overall T20I record is also impressive and the stats tell the story.

(Hardik Pandya in T20Is)

• Almost 100 wickets in the format and 1919 runs with a strike rate of 142, Hardik has been one of the best all-rounders in this format worldwide, and one of the Indian players could replicate what Hardik does for the side. He brings a balance in the team, and can be deployed in a variety of roles.
• He can play at number 4, or 5, and can also be used as a finisher at 6. Moreover, with the ball, Hardik can open the bowling, and can also be brought in as a partnership breaker.
• How many teams in the T20 World Cup 2026 have an all-rounder as effective as Hardik? Hardly any.
• The Indian team might get a Suryakumar replacement easily, but for years, they have tried to get a Hardik Pandya replacement, and they have failed in the mission.

SKY Vs Hardik T20I stats (ever since Surya became captain)

• Ever since Suryakumar was appointed the captain of the T20Is, his performances have dipped and the stats tell the story. While Hardik has amassed 427 runs in 21 matches, Surya has only scored 426 in 28 matches.
• While the strike rate of both the players are close enough, but there is a clear difference in average as Hardik has dominated the proceedings despite playing less games.

Final verdict

At his prime, Suryakumar Yadav was India’s most important player in the T20Is, but over the last year, his aura has faded as the runs have been hard to come by and SKY has failed to lead from the front. That is not the case with Hardik Pandya, who steps up every time India is in trouble and he delivers the goods to steer his team to a win.

For the T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian all-rounder will hold the key for the Men in Blue, and he is more important than the Indian skipper.

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