Hardik of things: India's balance manufacturer

Numbers might not reflect, but Pandya was key to India's CT success

- GOMESH S @Chennai

AS the Indian players continued to celebrate after winning the Champions Trophy on the field at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night, Hardik Pandya got his hands on the silverware and walked to the main pitch. At that point, everyone knew what was coming.

Pandya was going to recreate the iconic pose of Khaby Lame—something he had done already with the T20 World Cup trophy at Kensington Oval, Barbados last year—and the cameras followed him. The Indian all-rounder gave his own phone to one of the guys as the shutters went off.

It was a moment he had been waiting for eight years. He displayed a lot of resistance against Pakistan in the 2017 CT final before being run out. He had missed out on the second half of the 50-over World Cup in 2023 due to injury. It meant India had changed their plans. Since coming back, however, he has been a different beast.