Was Hardik Pandya the Difference Between 19 November, 29 June and 4 March?

India has played three consecutive finals in the last three ICC tournaments. Out of this, the team only suffered a loss in the 2023 World Cup, where Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to injury. But Pandya remained the team's silent hero in the remaining two finals.

Playing three consecutive finals of the ICC tournaments has not been everyone's cup of tea. But the Indian team has established its dominance in the ICC tournaments since the 2023 World Cup. Going undefeated across all three tournaments, .

But, out of these three finals, India has only lost one, and that loss hurts the fans more. Yes, 19 November 2023, still haunts the Indian fans. The Indian team missed out on Hardik Pandya in the final clash, who got injured in the clash against Bangladesh. However, he played the remaining two finals for the team and won both of them.

1. Hardik Pandya's Injury in 2023 World Cup

Hardik Pandya had a banger in the 2023 World Cup. He was able to contribute to the Indian team with the bat and ball. But unfortunately, he suffered an injury when India faced Bangladesh in the League stages. The injury didn't look much at first, but the scans and tests ruled Pandya out of the World Cup.

While bowling against Bangladesh, Pandya attempted to stop the ball with his foot. But in this process, he hurt his left ankle, as Virat Kohli completed the over in his place. Despite him playing just 4 matches for India, he contributed with the ball, taking 5 wickets, and even scored 11 runs for the team in one innings.

Hardik Pandya was a major missing for the team in the final clash against Australia. The famous line, “You only miss the sun when it starts to snow,” was remembered by every cricket fan watching Pandya miss out on the final. He holds some impressive stats for the Indian team against Australia.

Hardik Pandya against Australia (Batting):

• Innings: 13
• Not Out: 2
• Runs: 585
• Average: 53.18
• Strike Rate: 112.50
• 50s: 4

With the ball, Hardik Pandya has made contributions to the team. In the finals, where all other bowlers struggled to take the wicket of Travis Head, Pandya could have been an option for the team. And who knows if he would have taken Head’s wicket early and helped India to win the World Cup.

2. Hardik’s Big-Stage Performances

After the ICC World Cup, India was also able to reach the finals of the next two ICC events. But this time, the team had the availability of Hardik Pandya in both games. And the result, fortunately, came in favour of the Indian team. Due to this reason, several between the 19 November loss and the wins of 29 June and 4 March.

Hardik Pandya was known as the ultimate game-changer for the Indian team in the next two finals. First, India went against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 finals. At one stage, South Africa needed just 26 runs off 24 balls. Heinrich Klaasen was well set on the crease when Hardik Pandya was given the ball by the Indian skipper.

And Pandya did deliver for the Indian team, taking the wicket of Klaasen at the very first ball. Later, he was also given the last over, when the team had to defend 16 runs. On the very first ball, he took the wicket of David Miller, which was made possible by an impressive catch by Suryakumar Yadav. He also grabbed the wicket of Kagiso Rabada in the same over, as India won the finals by 7 runs.

Later, he was also a part of the team in the Champions Trophy 2025. With the finals being played against New Zealand, it was time for Pandya to shine. Although he didn't perform well this time, he was able to score 18 runs off 18 balls when India was chasing down the target. His scoring and wicket-taking abilities show that India missed out on the 2023 World Cup finals because of Pandya's unavailability.