![Hardik Pandya and girlfriend Mahieka Sharma after the win [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1772994814855_HardikPandyaandgirlfriendMahiekaSharmaafterthewin.jpg?type=hq)
Hardik Pandya and girlfriend Mahieka Sharma after the win [Source: X]
India created history with their third ICC trophy in a row, completing a hat-trick of titles after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand. Hardik Pandya, the OG clutch player of the Men in Blue, made some vital contributions in the semi-final against England, although he was relatively quiet in the final.
Yet, after the win, Hardik Pandya made some massive comments while praising his current girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma, live on television, while also hinting at his future plans in cricket as well as acknowledging the players and staff members who supported him throughout his journey.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign
Pandya's tournament so far has been pretty decent, even though he hasn't been too much in the spotlight. Out of the nine matches he played, he managed to score 217 runs at an average of 27.13 and a decent strike rate of 160.74.
With the ball, Pandya picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.82, including crucial two-wicket hauls against Namibia, Pakistan, and in the second semi-final against England.
In the final, though, Pandya managed one wicket while scoring a useful 13-ball 18 to help India put 255 runs on the board.
Though not match-winning, his several crucial moments in the field as well as in the bowling department led him to make several revelations regarding his current relationship with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma, as well as his plans for the future.
Pandya Gives All Win Credit To Girlfriend Mahieka Sharma
Speaking after the match, Hardik Pandya shared how confident he was on winning the Final match.
“I had been saying the same thing from the beginning, that we are going to win. I already knew that we were champions and that we would come back with this trophy. I even told Mahieka the same thing, “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.” Because everyone had different expectations, but I was confident about it,” Pandya said.
Pandya On Future Plans
While commenting on his future plans to play more and more cricket, Hardik was elusive while giving all credit to Mahieka Sharma.
“I want to play for the team for another ten years and win ten more titles. And I honestly want to say one thing, ever since Mahieka came into my life, everything has been going right. There has been win after win,” Pandya said.
India Dominate New Zealand in T20 World Cup Final
Even though Hardik Pandya wasn't very effective, his performance in the final was overshadowed by the overall display from the India.
Sanju Samson played a brilliant knock of 46-ball 89, while Abhishek Sharma smashed a 21-ball 52, with both opening the innings. Sharma departed early, though, dismissed by Rachin Ravindra, but Ishan Kishan took charge with a 25-ball 54.
Shivam Dube's late blitz of 26 runs off 8 balls also helped India move past the 250-run barrier, setting a mammoth total of 256 runs for New Zealand to chase.
The Kiwis, however, were bowled out and bundled for just 150 runs, thanks to Jasprit Bumrah's four-wicket haul and Axar Patel's three-fer that largely restricted New Zealand.
Only Mitchell Santner's 35-ball 43 and Tim Seifert's 26-ball 52 offered some resistance, but ultimately failed to make a major impact.
It was Abhishek Sharma in the end who scalped the final wicket of Jacob Duffy to help India cross the line and secure their title for the second time in a row, successfully defending it at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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