Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has once again stolen the show in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 with his remarkable all-round display. However, Hardik Pandya raised many eyebrows while putting his body on the line even before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Hardik Pandya bowls full 10 overs in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 despite not having BCCI CoE clearance
Despite being rested for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, the Baroda all-rounder went all out in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 clash against Chandigarh on January 8 at Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium.
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Pandya bowled a full 10 overs, taking three crucial wickets for 66 runs, even though he didn’t have the “BCCI CoE clearance to bowl that many overs for the ODI squad.” This bold move could put the Indian all-rounder at risk of getting injured and could force the BCCI to take action.
10-0-66-3. Hardik’s bowled his full quota against Chandigarh. CoE? #VijayHazareTrophy https://t.co/UgbjSrkBIa
— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal) January 8, 2026
Interestingly, Hardik’s brother and Baroda captain Krunal Pandya bowled only eight, while the rest of the attack delivered five to six overs each against Chandigarh. Well, Hardik’s bold decision paid off, as he helped Baroda secure a massive 149-run victory over Chandigarh in the Vijay Hazare clash.
Hardik Pandya blazes 75 as Baroda crushes Chandigarh by 149 runs
Before his impressive spell, the Indian all-rounder tore through the Chandigarh attack with the bat. Hardik played a whirlwind knock of 75 runs off just 31 balls laced with nine massive sixes and two crisp boundaries, giving Baroda a huge boost during their innings.
Apart from Hardik’s blazing knock, Priyanshu Moliya hammered 113 off 106 balls, while Vishnu Solanki scored 54 and helped Baroda post a massive total of 391 on the board. Ninad Rathva also chipped in with a vital 38 runs against Chandigarh in Rajkot.
Chasing the massive target, Chandigarh bowled out for 242 runs, handing Baroda a massive 149-run victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy clash. For Chandigarh, Shivam Bhambri hit a century, while Taranpreet Singh smashed 44 runs. The rest of the batting lineup could not even cross the 20-run mark.
Pandya’s Vijay Hazare Magic and Baroda’s Dominance
Hardik and Mahesh Pithiya each scalped three wickets, while Rasikh Salam got two wickets for Baroda. With this win, Baroda jumped to the third spot in the elite Group B points table with 20 points and a healthy net run rate of +0.712 from seven games, losing only two matches.
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Well, this wasn’t the first time Hardik has lit up the ongoing 50-over tournament. Earlier in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Indian all-rounder had smashed his maiden List-A century in just 68 balls against Vidarbha. With this all-round masterclass, Pandya has sent a clear message ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 that he is ready to take the big stage on fire.
Hardik Pandya introduces girlfriend Mahieka Sharma to Amitabh Bachchan in a viral moment
Meanwhile, on January 5, Reliance hosted its big event, ‘United in Triumph,’ in Mumbai, bringing together stars from Bollywood and sports. Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan also attended the event. Hardik Pandya was also there with his girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma.
A video from the event went viral, showing a sweet moment where the Indian cricketer introduced Mahieka to Big B. Hardik first hugged the actor warmly, then introduced his girlfriend. Amitabh greeted Mahieka with a friendly handshake, and they shared a brief conversation.
Hardik Pandya introducing his girlfriend mahika Sharma to Amitabh Bachchan at the Reliance Foundation event last night.❤️ pic.twitter.com/yJ8ZyPneCu
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) January 6, 2026
