The reason why other teams fear India at Champions Trophy

Let’s keep aside the numbers for a bit. In a second consecutive ICC tournament Hardik Pandya is showing what India exactly missed at the 2023 World Cup where despite being the stand-out team, they ended up as runners-up. As India now stand in the final of the Champions Trophy looking to add to the T20 World Cup title they won eight months ago, one aspect has again stood out behind their invincibility – the depth in batting and bowling, which wouldn’t have been possible without the balance that Pandya provides. Apart from doing their homework right in terms of what to expect here in Dubai, where spinners were expected to be their leader of the bowling pack, India’s think-tank also realised depth in batting is absolutely necessary. In slow conditions, where they have to at times take necessary risks to keep the tempo going, losing wickets is inevitable. And in such circumstances, the batting depth becomes all the more essential where specific roles come into play.
As head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed after their win over Australia in the semi-final, as batting group India’s plan has been simple. To get a rapid start and ensure they go unscathed in the middle-overs and keep wickets in hand when they enter the last 10 overs. In the World Cup final against Ahmedabad, India missed this depth, which meant after they lost Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer the 11th over, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had to take the game deep sacrificing a more intent-driven approach as they had Mohammed Shami coming in at No 8.
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Here, the story is different. With a fully-fit Pandya their side to play the finisher’s role, India now have Ravindra Jadeja slotted for No 8. It has directly empowered the middle-order to take due risks; a leeway that the likes of Shreyas Iyer have been gladly taking on these pitches.
When India have really needed Pandya to finish off the innings in this campaign, he has done with superb efficiency. First against New Zealand, in the most difficult conditions and their seamers taking pace off the ball, he still used his power to score 45 runs that proved to make a huge difference in the end when India defended a total of 249/9. Then in the semi-finals, as Australia sensed a slight opening following the dismissal of Virat Kohli, he walked in at No 7 and scored a 24-ball 28 with three sixes.
On pitches where batsmen have struggled for fluency, he has gone about acing the role. In the end overs, with softer balls and conditions making it difficult to get any pace to work around, Pandya has gone at a strike-rate of 108, which is the highest among all batsmen. Like KL Rahul, even he has been practicing the big shots at the nets, but the difference has been the power.
India’s Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo)
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Pandya’s presence means India are also able to put their spin blueprint to good use. From the time they landed here, it has been evident that at some stage they could play their best four spinners. While their intention has remained the same, India’s think-tank has also been wary of keeping the batting depth intact. And in the last two matches, they have managed to do so thanks to Pandya.
Before the limited-overs series against England, Pandya featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) to show where he stands in terms of his bowling. Though he didn’t bowl his entire quota of 10 overs in the VHT, he bowled up to seven overs, which is the sort of number India were looking from him. Here, the moment they decided to drop Harshit Rana and include Varun Chakaravarthy, it showed how much India trusts in Pandya’s bowling.
Against Pakan, it was Pandya who cracked open the game, first removing Babar Azam and then Saud Shakeel. Those two telling blows showed Pandya was the best seamer on the afternoon. Against New Zealand it was Pandya who once again gave the opening, removing Rachin Ravindra before the spinners capitalised. Then against Australia, he struggled a bit with his rhythm, but ensured he didn’t end up conceding a big over that could potentially alter the course.
For a seamer who mostly hits the back of the length areas, which is the ideal area to bowl on these surfaces, Pandya has been managed to extract movement with the new ball. At the same time when he comes for his second spell, he has shown the maturity to use the cutters and slower balls, making it difficult for batsmen to score off. Eight months ago at Barbados as India ended their ICC title drought, Pandya bowled two crunch overs, taking key wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Story continues below this ad
On Sunday, when they face New Zealand in the final, India will once again need Pandya the bowler as much as Pandya the batsman. Without him, India isn’t an India team that other teams fear.