Hardik Pandya Biography: Pandya is the first fast-bowling all-rounder in T20Is to complete 1,000 runs and 100 wickets.
He is considered one of the best all-rounders in the world in white-ball cricket and how he achived this feat.
Personal Overview
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hardik Himanshu Pandya |
| Date of Birth | October 11, 1993 |
| Birth Place | Choryasi, Surat, Gujarat, India |
| Age | 32 years (as of early 2026) |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Role | All-rounder |
| Batting Style | Right-handed batter |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Teams | India, Mumbai Indians, Baroda |
| Education | Dropped out of school early to focus on professional cricket |
| Estimated Net Worth | ₹90–100 crores |
Early Life
Hardik Pandya Biography: Pandya was born on 11 October 1993 in Choryasi, Surat, Gujarat.
His father, Himanshu Pandya ran a small car finance business in Surat.
Which he shut down and moved to Vadodara when Hardik was five to provide his sons with better cricket training facilities.
Himanshu Pandya worked as a loan consultant in Vadodara. His Family used to survive on noodles and maggie, sometimes without food in the night.
He enrolled his two sons into Kiran More’s cricket academy in Vadodara.
Lacking finances, the Pandya family lived in a rented apartment in Gorwa, with the brothers using a second-hand car to travel to the cricket ground.
Hardik studied at the MK High School until ninth grade before dropping out to focus on cricket.
Pandya made progress in junior-level cricket, and according to Krunal, “won a lot of matches single-handedly” in club cricket.
In an interview he said that he was dropped from his state age-group teams due to his “attitude problems”.
According to his father, Pandya was a leg spinner until the age of 18 and turned to fast bowling at the insistence of the Baroda coach Sanath Kumar.
Domestic Career
Pandya has been playing for the Baroda since 2013.
He played a vital role in helping Baroda win the Syed Mushtaq li Trophy in the 2013–14 season.
In January 2016, he slammed eight sixes during his innings of 86 not out, to guide Baroda to a six-wicket win over Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
International career
Pandya made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for India on 27 January 2016 at the age of 22, picking up 2 wickets against Australia.
His first Twenty20 International wicket was Chris Lynn.
In the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Ranchi, he batted ahead of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni and hit 27 off 14 balls before becoming hat-trick victim of Thisara Perera.
In 2016 Asia Cup, Pandya smashed an 18-ball 31 helping India post a respectable score against Bangladesh.
Later on, he also picked up a wicket to secure the win.
In the next match against Pakistan he bowled his best figures of 3 for 8 which restricted Pakistan to 83.
Hardik Pandya Biography: In a 2016 World Twenty20 match against Bangladesh on 23 March, Pandya took two crucial wickets in the last three balls of match’s final over as India beat Bangladesh by one run.
Pandya was included in India’s Test squad for their home series against England in late 2016,but was eventually left out after he injured himself while training in the nets at the PCA Stadium.
He was named in the squad that toured Sri Lanka in July 2017 and played his first Test on 26 July in Galle.
In the 3rd and the final Test match against Sri Lanka at Pallekele, Pandya scored his maiden Test century.
And set the record for becoming the first Indian batsman to score a Test century just before lunch.
This century was his first century in international cricket.
Pandya made his One Day International (ODI) debut for India against New Zealand on 16 October 2016 at Dharamshala.
He became the fourth Indian to be named player of the match on ODI debut after Sandeep Patil, Mohit Sharma and K. L. Rahul.
In the group stages of ICC Champions Trophy, Pandya hit three consecutive sixes off Imad Wasim in the same over before rain stopped play.
On 18 June 2017, in the final of the Champions Trophy at the Oval, he struck a 43-ball 76 in a losing cause, after coming in with India at 54/5 following a top order collapse.
In April 2019, he was named in India’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Pandya’s career best bowling figures of 4 for 38 was achieved in the 3rd and final Twenty20 International against England on 8 July 2018.
When he also scored 33 not out in 14 balls and hit the winning runs with a six off Chris Jordan.
He became first Indian to take 4 wickets and score over 30 runs in the same T20I match.
In September 2021, Pandya was named in India’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after being declared fit to bowl his full overs.
In June 2022, Pandya was named India’s captain for their T20I matches against Ireland.[27]
On 7 July 2022, Pandya scored 51 runs off 33 balls, his maiden T20I half-century against England at Southampton.
He also took 4/33, making him the first Indian player to record a half-century and take 4 wickets in the same T20I.
In April 2024, Pandya was named the vice-captain of the Indian squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
During India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, Pandya took 11 wickets and scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 150.
In the final, he took 3 wickets, including those of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, and also bowled the last over of the match.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Pandya became the first Indian all-rounder to be ranked number 1 in the T20I Rankings.
IPL Career
Hardik was bought by Mumbai Indians for 10 Lakh base price.
Pandya played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL from 2015 to 2021.
Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, Pandya was released by the Mumbai Indians.
He was then drafted by the new Ahmedabad-based franchise, Gujarat Titans, and named captain of the team.
He led Gujarat to their maiden IPL title in 2022, becoming the first captain after Shane Warne in 2008 to lead a team to the title in its first year.
In the IPL 2023 Pandya again led Gujarat Titans to their second consecutive final but lost to Chennai Super Kings by five wickets through DLS method.
In November 2023, Pandya returned to the Mumbai Indians after two seasons with the Gujarat Titans.
In an all-cash trade deal which involved Cameron Green being traded from the Mumbai Indians to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Pandya was later named captain of the side, replacing Rohit Sharma, a decision that drew criticism from the home crowd.
Who booed Pandya during the 2024 season.
Under Pandya’s captaincy, Mumbai Indians ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2024, failing to qualify for the playoffs and finishing last in the league stage with 4 wins in 14 games.
Pandya scored 216 runs batting at various positions between 4-8, at an average of 18.00. With the ball, he took 11 wickets with an economy of 10.75.
In 2025 his team lost in the Qualifier 2 Against Punjab Kings.
Personal Life
Their father, Himanshu Pandya died in January 2021 of cardiac arrest.
That was a tough phase for Hardik and his family.
Pandya got engaged to dancer and actress Nataša Stanković on 1st January 2020 on 30 July 2020 their first child, a boy, Agastya Pandya was born.
On 14 February 2023, the couple renewed their wedding vows in a ceremony in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
The couple mutually separated in July 2024.
Records
- IPL-winning captain in debut season (Gujarat Titans, 2022)
- Only captain to take a new franchise to back-to-back IPL finals (2022 & 2023)
- First Indian all-rounder to score a Test century at No. 8 or lower (108 vs Sri Lanka, 2017)
- Holds the record for the fastest Test century by an Indian (off 86 balls)
- One of the few Indian cricketers to have scored 90+ and taken 5 wickets in the same Test
- Among the top Indian all-rounders in T20Is for strike rate (consistently 140+)
Fun and Interesting Facts
- Hardik and his brother Krunal once lived in a small rented room in Baroda while training — no luxury, just grind.
- His tattoos symbolize strength, faith, and self-belief, reflecting his personality and journey.
- Teammates often call him “Kung Fu Pandya” for his athletic fielding and explosive style.
- From bold hairstyles to flashy outfits, Hardik is known for setting trends, not following them.
- Hardik has openly said he believes more in confidence and instinct than overthinking technique.
- After injuries and criticism, he’s made multiple strong comebacks, proving mental toughness.
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