Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has explained the reason for his celebration following Jacob Bethell’s dismissal during the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Pandya’s direct shot to the striker’s end at the end of England’s chase ended Bethell’s 102 innings. After the expulsion, the 32-year-old reacted with a lively celebration and tried to raise the team’s energy. Pandya later said that the reaction came because his son Agastya and his 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 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on“One batsman I had to get out of the field was Bethell, the way he was batting. I knew I had to stay calm and bowl it where it was supposed to be. I would have liked to be a little closer to the stumps, but still, we got the job done,” Hardik said in a video posted 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 excited he was,” he added.

Before the breakaway, 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 speed up the score but was caught at mid-wicket.Pandya said he focused on staying calm before launching the game.“There are two ways in life. I could have raced my heart and not been able to execute it, so I went into my Zen mode. It’s quite surprising that instead of my heartbeat speeding up, I stayed still. I am very proud of that,” Hardik said.For his performance, Pandya was named impact player of the match in the locker room after the match.India will face New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.