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India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has explained the reason behind his celebration after the dismissal of Jacob Bethell during the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Pandya’s direct throw at the striker’s end in the final over of England’s chase ended Bethell’s innings of 102. After the dismissal, the 32-year-old reacted with an animated celebration and tried to lift the team’s energy. Pandya later said the reaction came because his son Agastya and girlfriend Mahieka Sharma were watching the match from the stands, and he wanted them to experience his emotions at that moment.
“Clutch is Hardik Pandya,” the all-rounder said in a video released by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on X. “See, there are two ways in life. I could have got my heart rushing and would have not been able to execute. So, I went in my zen mode. Quite amazing that instead of getting my heartbeat rushed, I was still. And I’m really proud of that,” Pandya said.“One batter I had to get out from the field was Bethell, the way he was batting. I knew I had to keep calm and throw it where it was supposed to be. I would have liked it a little closer to the stumps, but nevertheless, we got the job done,” Hardik said in a video released by BCCI on X.“The reaction was also because my son came, and I wanted my son and Mahieka to enjoy this moment and feel how emotional I was,” he added.
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Before the run-out, Pandya had also made an impact with the ball. In the 19th over, he conceded nine runs and took the wicket of Sam Curran, who was trying to accelerate the scoring but was caught at mid-wicket.Pandya said he focused on staying calm before bowling the over.“There are two ways in life. I could have got my heart racing and not been able to execute, so I went into my Zen mode. It’s quite amazing that instead of my heartbeat rushing, I stayed still. I’m really proud of that,” Hardik said.For his performance, Pandya was named the impact player of the match in the dressing room after the game.India will next face New Zealand in the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
