Hardik Pandya radiates unshakable aura, delivers boss treatment to cocky Sahibzada Farhan: ‘Didn’t blink or flinch’

Hardik Pandya's no-look wicket on dismissing Sahibzada Farhan is making waves on social media.

Updated on: Feb 16, 2026, 12:43:57 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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Hardik Pandya missed out with the bat, but the India all-rounder, with the ball in hand, ensured he did not disappoint against Pakistan. Hardik, coming into Sunday’s Group A fixture at Sri Lanka’s R. Premadasa Stadium, had scored a belligerent half-century against Namibia on Thursday. With a new tattoo, Hardik served some brand-new attitude to Sahibzada Farhan to rise to the occasion and pick up two wickets to lead India’s charge while defending a record 176-run target.

Hardik Pandya with a no-look wicket celebration (AFP)

Hardik opened India’s bowling and delivered in the very first over, dismissing opener Farhan for a duck. Farhan made headlines for his comments on Jasprit Bumrah not too long ago, recalling his sixes against the India pacer during last year’s Asia Cup. Against Bumrah, Farhan scored 51 runs from 31 balls, smashing three sixes, and ensured that the world knew about his feat.

Also Read: Tension in Indian camp? Heated post-match scenes between Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav spark concern

“Kya yeh wohi bowler hai jisko abhi tak chhakka nahi laga? Maine kaha yeh kaise ho sakta hai? Three innings, 150 runs akele. Jab hum khelte hai, toh yeh nahi dekhte ki saamne wala kaun hai. (Is this the bowler who has never been hit for a six? I thought, how is this possible? Three innings, 150 runs alone. When we play, we don’t see who is bowling),” he had said in a video.

And on Sunday evening, Hardik exacted revenge for Bumrah. Ideally, what does a bowler do when he induces a top edge from the batter? Immediately look up to spot the ball. Or at least, turn to the fielder getting under it. Right? Well, not Hardik. Pandya showed boss mentality, looking up towards Farhan with a dead-cold stare in his eyes. He knew the ball was going to land in the hands of Rinku Singh at long off.

One X user wrote: “Hardik Pandya did not blink, did not look at the ball, did not even flinch as Sahibzada Farhan lofted him. Bro risked his aura for that.”

Hardik's rare failure with the bat

Earlier, Hardik lasted just one ball at the crease. Trying to hoick Saim Ayub, he holed out to Babar Azam in the deep to be dismissed for a golden duck, the second duck of the inning after Abhishek Sharma’s four-ball stay. Once he dismissed Farhan, Hardik returned to clean up Usman Tariq for Pakistan’s last wicket as they were bundled out for 114. India's 61-run win against Pakistan meant that they became the first team to qualify for the Super 8s.

The stage was set by Ishan Kishan’s blistering innings of 77 in 40 balls. Despite losing the returning Abhishek four balls into the match, Ishan knocked the stuffing out of Pakistan’s bowlers, smoking 10 fours and three sixes. With contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma and cameos from Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh, India posted 175/7, the highest score ever in an India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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