‘The Guy Who Can Win You Games’: AB de Villiers Hails Mumbai Indians Star Ahead Of 2026 T20 World Cup

South Africa legend AB de Villiers recently made a massive claim about Mumbai Indians star ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, who is also a part of India's squad for the marquee tournament.

AB de Villiers praised Hardik Pandya for his all-rounder abilities and labelled him as an asset to the captain, Suryakumar Yadav. Pandya showcased his abilities with the bat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Baroda against Vidarbha, scoring 133 runs from 92 deliveries at a strike rate of 144.56 with eight fours and 11 sixes.

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AB de Villiers On Hardik Pandya's Inclusion In India's T20 World Cup Squad

The veteran South African star expressed a bit of surprise at the exclusion of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, but explained that he is expecting Hardik Pandya to play a pivotal role in the squad with his batting and bowling abilities.

While talking on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers shared, "There are a lot of players offering skill with both bat and ball, so you can really play around with the balance. I noted no Pant here, no Gill, no Jaiswal, no Jitesh, so those are the unlucky guys who missed out."

He further added, "Hardik will be the big pivotal player. He's the guy who can win you games. When he walks out to bat, there's a sense in the opposition like we need to get him out. Same with the ball in hand, the minute he comes on, you feel like he has a golden arm, so a great asset for Suryakumar Yadav."

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Hardik Pandya In The Recent T20I Against South Africa

In the recent T20I against South Africa, Hardik Pandya scored 142 runs across three innings at an average of 71.00 and a strike rate of 186.84 with two half-centuries.