Hardik Pandya Joins Elite Club of 5,000 Runs & 200 Wickets in T20 Cricket

Hardik Pandya hit a major career milestone on Monday night, picking up his 200th T20 wicket during Mumbai Indians’ clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede. The MI skipper had a decent outing with the ball, grabbing 2 for 45 in his four overs – including two massive wickets of Virat Kohli and Liam Livingstone.

Pandya first struck gold when he dismissed Virat Kohli, who was in top form and looking good for a big one. Kohli had already racked up 67 off 42 balls with eight crisp fours and two sixes and had laid a strong foundation alongside Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar. But just as the RCB star looked set for his first century of the season, Hardik returned for his second spell and had him caught by Naman Dhir. A few balls later, Pandya sent Liam Livingstone packing for a golden duck – who was his 200th wicket in T20s. 

Livingstone's wicket also cemented Hardik’s place in an exclusive club—he’s now the first Indian cricketer to score over 5000 runs and take 200 wickets in T20s. Overall, he’s only the 12th player in the world to pull off this double, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, and Kieron Pollard. At the moment, Hardik is also enjoying a red-hot run in the IPL. He’s the joint-highest wicket-taker this season with 10 scalps from just four games, averaging a stunning 12.00 and with best figures of 5 for 36. 

Despite taking his 200th wicket in T20s, Pandya is a long way behind Rashid Khan, who leads the all-time T20 wicket charts with a ridiculous 635 wickets at an average of 16.8. Among Indian bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal tops the pile with 365 wickets in 315 games. 

Here’s a quick look at the players who’ve crossed 5000 runs and 200 wickets in T20s – a club Hardik now proudly belongs to: 

• Dwayne Bravo – 6970 runs, 631 wickets 
• Shakib Al Hasan – 7438 runs, 492 wickets 
• Andre Russell – 9018 runs, 470 wickets 
• Mohammad Nabi – 6135 runs, 369 wickets 
• Samit Patel – 6673 runs, 352 wickets 
• Kieron Pollard – 13,537 runs, 326 wickets 
• Ravi Bopara – 9486 runs, 291 wickets 
• Daniel Christian – 5848 runs, 281 wickets 
• Moeen Ali – 7140 runs, 375 wickets 
• Shane Watson – 8821 runs, 343 wickets 
• Mohammad Hafeez – 7946 runs, 202 wickets 
• Hardik Pandya – 5390 runs, 200 wickets 

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