Our Bureau
New Delhi
Hardik Pandya’s finally back for Team India and honestly, you can feel the buzz. He lit up the nets before the T20I series against New Zealand, smashing balls everywhere and cracking up his teammates. Head coach Gautam Gambhir couldn’t help himself, he joked, “Where are you aiming, North Wing?” Hardik just grinned and said, “First tier.” The whole thing got caught on video, and you can tell everyone’s in a great mood heading into the five-match series that kicks off Wednesday.
It’s been a while for Hardik. He last played for India during the Asia Cup before that injury sidelined him. He missed some big games, but now he looks completely ready. His return really matters, he gives the team balance with his all-round game, and that frees up space for another specialist in the lineup.
There’s more. In that net session video, Hardik told people to clear out before he launched a monster shot. Gambhir teased him again, asking where he was aiming. Hardik just pointed up, “First tier.” After he hammered a huge six, captain Suryakumar Yadav laughed, “Man, now you’ve hit it to the second tier!”
Big news on the squad too, Jasprit Bumrah’s back. Suryakumar Yadav, who’s been T20I captain since 2024, keeps pushing his attacking style and strong leadership. Under him, India’s been rolling with a win rate over 72 percent.
