India, March 13 -- Hardik Pandya has been India's MVP in white-ball cricket for quite some time now. What he brings to the table as a seam bowler and an attacking middle-order batter is rare. In the Champions Trophy 2025, Pandya donned many hats for India. He was a defensive third seamer for the first two league games, trying to choke the batters in the middle overs, but when the tournament entered the business end, he shared the new ball with Mohammed Shami as India decided to field four spinners. As a batter, he was India's designated finisher, coming in at No.7 to play those crucial cameos in pressure situations, be it the semi-final against Australia or the final against New Zealand.

Former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Moham...