He is a big man for big moment – AB de Villiers lauds Hardik Pandya’s T20 World Cup heroics

Former South African captain AB de Villiers hailed Hardik Pandya’s T20 World Cup heroics after India lifted the title. Pandya played a key role in taking India to glory, returning with impressive figures of 3-20 in the three overs he bowled in the final against South Africa.

The all-rounder got the big wicket of Heinrich Klaasen with a slower wide ball and then accounted for David Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the final over. 

Meanwhile, Pandya was booed by the Indian crowd throughout the IPL 2024 as he could not deliver the goods while leading Mumbai Indians. However, Pandya was able to turn the tables in the T20 World Cup 2024 as he delivered with both bat and ball.

The right-hander scored 144 runs in six innings at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.57 in the T20I showpiece. Pandya also scalped 11 wickets in eight matches at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.61.

“What stands out for me are the big moments. A guy like Hardik Pandya who’s been through a roller-coaster himself with Mumbai Indians – moving from Gujarat to Mumbai – and all the criticism he coped with, getting the ball from the captain in the final of the T20 World Cup. That was his moment to go like, ‘You know what… all Indian fans out there, this is what I am about as a cricket player’,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

“He made everyone proud out there. Even though I did not want him to succeed like that, I look back and have a lot of respect for that. He is a big man for a big moment and that’s exactly the way he played. To all you Mumbai Indians fans out there who doubted him, I’m pretty sure he has secured a spot in your hearts for the future.”

After his consistent performances in the T20 World Cup, Pandya also moved to the numero position in the ICC T20I all-rounders rankings.