Starring in the second T20I against New Zealand on Friday, Hardik Pandya surpassed Virat Kohli to become India’s second-most capped player in men’s T20 internationals.
Pandya achieved the milestone in his 126th T20I appearance, overtaking Kohli, who finished his T20I career with 125 matches. Former India captain Rohit Sharma remains the most capped Indian in the format with 159 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in 2024.
Pandya is now one of only four Indian players to have featured in 100 or more T20Is, alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
The all-rounder has been a key contributor for India in the shortest format, scoring 2,027 runs at an average of 28.54, with a highest score of 71 not out. With the ball, Pandya has claimed 102 wickets at an average of 26.85, including best figures of 4/16.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, also features in the elite list, playing his 101st T20I on Friday after crossing the 100-match mark in the series opener against New Zealand. The right-handed batter has amassed 2,788 runs in 93 innings at an average of 35.29, including four centuries and 21 half-centuries, making him India’s third-highest run-getter in T20 internationals.
In his most recent outing, Pandya scored a quickfire 25 off 16 balls in the first T20I against New Zealand and returned bowling figures of 2/20 in two overs, underlining his all-round value.
The match also marks another milestone for Indian cricket, with the hosts playing their 100th men’s T20I at home.
India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: Playing XIs
India XI:
Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand XI:
Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy