Domestic Cricket's Unsung Hero Gets His Moment as Pandya Honours Wasim Jaffer
Pandya named Ranji Trophy legend Wasim Jaffer his idol, skipping established international stars.
Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya surprised many at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 by naming former India opener Wasim Jaffer as his cricketing idol, instead of established legends like Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly. Growing up in the late 1990s and 2000s, Pandya witnessed icons like Tendulkar, Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Anil Kumble dominate Indian cricket, but he chose Jaffer for his consistency and dominance in domestic cricket.
Jaffer played 31 Tests for India between 2000 and 2006, scoring 1,944 runs at an average of 34.10. While he did not secure a long-term place in the Test team, he was a prolific scorer in domestic cricket, amassing nearly 20,000 first-class runs at an average above 50, with over 12,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy representing Mumbai, the record champions. His remarkable domestic record and dedication to the game clearly left a lasting impression on Pandya.
Speaking at the awards, Pandya highlighted Jaffer’s work ethic and run-scoring ability, saying that he admired his consistency and approach to the game. The revelation of Jaffer as his idol was particularly noteworthy given that other contemporary players present at the ceremony had different inspirations: Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi both cited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh as their idol, with Sooryavanshi additionally naming West Indies legend Brian Lara. T20I opener Sanju Samson named Sachin Tendulkar as his cricketing idol.
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The BCCI Naman Awards 2026 also celebrated India’s top performers of the 2024-2025 season. Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were recognized as the Best International Cricketers for men’s and women’s cricket, respectively, with Gill receiving the Polly Umrigar Award for the second time and Mandhana winning her fifth such accolade. Lifetime achievement awards went to former stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid, and Mithali Raj, honoring their immense contributions to Indian cricket.
The ceremony further recognized India’s five trophy-winning sides: the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, 2025 U-19 Women’s World Cup, 2026 Men’s U-19 World Cup, and the 2026 T20 World Cup, celebrating the remarkable achievements of Indian cricket at all levels.
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