IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya becomes third Indian bowler to pick 100 wickets in T20I cricket

Hardik Pandya reached the milestone during the third IND vs SA T20I in Dharamsala.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya clinched a massive feat during the ongoing third T20I against South Africa Cricket Team on Sunday, December 14. He became the third Indian bowler to clinch 100 wickets in T20I cricket in the encounter, which is being played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first in the clash. Arshdeep Singh gave the first blow to the Proteas by dismissing Reeza Hendricks in the first over. In the second over, Harshit Rana got the better of Quinton de Kock with an LBW as the visitors lost both openers for just one run on the board.

At the end of powerplay overs, South Africa lost three wickets for 25 runs, suffering a dismal start. In the last delivery of the seventh over, Pandya dismissed Tristan Stubbs with an edge, which was easily caught by wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma. With the dismissal, he clinched the milestone of 100 T20I wickets, joining the likes of Arshdeep and Jasprit Bumrah.

Hardik Pandya becomes third Indian bowler to capture 100 wickets in T20I cricket

The Indian all-rounder has reached the landmark in his 123rd T20I. Earlier this year, Arshdeep became the first Indian bowler to reach the mark during Asia Cup 2025. Interestingly, Bumrah clinched the record in the opening game against South Africa in Cuttack.

Top 5 Indian bowlers with the most wickets in T20I cricket

1. Arshdeep Singh – 109 wickets
2. Jasprit Bumrah – 101 wickets
3. Hardik Pandya – 100 wickets*
4. Yuzvendra Chahal – 96 wickets
5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 90 wickets

Speaking about the encounter, the Men in Blue aim for a comeback after losing the second T20I by 51 runs. While they opted for the same playing XI in the first two clashes, they were forced to make two changes in the third game. Axar Patel missed the clash due to illness, while Bumrah could not play due to personal reasons. Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav were added to the playing XI.

Meanwhile, Pandya gave a wonderful performance in the opening game in Cuttack, smacking a match-winning half-century to lead India to victory by 101 runs. He was also awarded Player of the Match for his spectacular batting show.

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