India all-rounder Hardik Pandya explained the reason behind his celebration after Jacob Bethell’s dismissal during the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Pandya’s direct throw at the striker’s end in the final over of England’s chase ended Bethel’s innings of 102. After the dismissal, the 32-year-old reacted with a lively celebration and tried to lift the team’s energy. Pandya later said that the reaction came because his son Agastya and his girlfriend Mahika Sharma were watching the match from the stands, and he wanted them to experience his feelings at that moment.
India leaves Mumbai for Ahmedabad | Team India heads to the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand
“Clutch is Hardik Pandya,” the all-rounder said in a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on X.
“Look, there are two ways in life. I could have had my heart racing and I couldn’t pull it off. So, I went into my Zen mode. It’s so amazing that instead of my heart racing, I was still. And I’m really proud of that,” Pandya said.
“One of the knocks I had to take out was Bethell, the way he was batting. I knew I had to keep calm and bowl it where it was supposed to be. I was hoping it would have been a little closer to the stumps, but still, we got the job done,” Hardik said in a video released by BCCI on X.
“The reaction was also because my son came, and I wanted my son and Mahika to enjoy this moment and feel how touched I am,” he added.Before the end of the match, Pandya also made an impact with the ball. In the 19th over, he conceded nine runs and took the wicket of Sam Curran, who was trying to speed up the scoring but was caught at mid-wicket.Pandya said he focused on remaining calm before bowling.“There are two ways in life. I could have made my heart race and I couldn’t pull it off, so I went into my Zen mode. It’s quite amazing that instead of my heart racing, I stayed still. I’m really proud of that,” Hardik said.For his performance, Pandya was named man of the match in the dressing room after the match.India will next take on New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
