Hardik Pandya revealed that he was smiling and laughing on the inside thinking of the tense Indian team dressing room when he was out finishing the first semi-final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against Australia in Dubai.
Chasing 264 to win, India rode on Virat Kohli’s sublime 84 runs, who with the help of Shreyas Iyer (45) and KL Rahul (42*) helped the Men in Blue win the match by 4 wickets and qualify for the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
By the end, A dramatic conclusion and a clutch performance under duress from Hardik Pandya sealed India's victory, as he hammered a quickfire 28 when India needed boundaries to fight off the run-chase assault.
While India's victory was a team effort, Hardik's gutsy stroke play stole the show, keeping his colleagues on the edge of their seats.
Chasing a competitive target, India found themselves in a tricky situation in the latter stages of the innings. And that’s when Hardik Pandya entered the arena and played a blistering 28-run knock with just 24 deliveries, which included three towering sixes and a boundary, with two back-to-back maximums off Adam Zampa.
The Indian dressing room was filled with apprehensive expressions as Hardik took the crease. Hardik was seen discussing closing overs with Axar Patel in an Instagram video provided by the Indian squad.
“I was smiling. I mean, I didn't think of hitting two sixes. I knew it would happen anytime. But I knew that people must have gotten a little tense in the dressing room. I was laughing a little inside,” Pandya said in the BCCI video.
Axar then comically detailed the atmosphere inside the locker room, claiming that there were nervous expressions and that many were clamoring for Hardik and Rahul to rotate the strike.
"You didn't think about what will happen inside? We were thinking, ‘hey, run twos, run singles’. But I knew. I had trust in you. I was just observing the environment around me,” said Axar.
KL Rahul also acknowledged how Hardik’s quick runs helped ease the pressure.
“It did get closer than what we would have wanted. Hardik came and hit those crucial sixes. It took a lot of pressure off me. I’m really happy that we got over the line,” Rahul said.
India will now face New Zealand in the final on March 9 in Dubai.
