Flashback: Only two Indians to score 50 and take three-plus wickets in a T20I

All-rounders play a vital and crucial role in any setup of the team irrespective of the format. They bring a different dimension and balance to the side with their all-round abilities. Smashing a half-century and picking up wickets in the same match is something quite exceptional and two Indian players have done that in the most exciting format, the T20 internationals.

India’s duo of Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya are the only two players to slam a fifty and grab three or more wickets in the same T20I. Hardik is the latest entrant on the list as he equalled Yuvraj’s feat after 13 long years. Yuvraj had a triple blast when he registered this achievement in the year 2009 on his birthday, as he picked up 3/23 in a three-over spell at an economy rate of 7.66 against Sri Lanka, who had posted a mammoth total of 206/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Chasing 207, Yuvraj went berserk as he smashed an unbeaten 60 off just 25, which included three fours and five maximums to finish off the chase in 19.1 overs and level the series for India 1-1. He won the Player of the Match award for his all-round brilliance on his birthday.

Hardik recently matched Yuvraj’s feat in the first of the three-match series against England. Batting first at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, Hardik brought up his maiden half-century in the format to help India post 198/8 on the board. He struck 51 off just 33 with six fours and a maximum. With the ball in hand, he took 4/33 in a four-over spell which included crucial wickets of Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran. The Men in Blue won the match by 50 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series with Hardik winning the Player of the Match award.