Hardik Pandya breaks down during the national anthem in the first Twenty20 match between WI and IND.

On Thursday, August 3, at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, India and the West Indies will square off in the opening of a three-match T20I series. Rovman Powell, the captain of the West Indies, has won the toss and chosen to bat first. Prior to the match, captain Hardik Pandya was seen crying during the playing of the national anthem. The all-around player was observed crying and wiping her eyes.

Pandya, notably, has previously shown his emotions on television as well. After India’s stunning victory against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, he broke down in tears during the post-game interview. The all-rounder significantly improved the team’s chances of winning by taking 3/30 (4 overs) and scoring 40 (37) runs with the bat.

Additionally, the 29-year-old led India in the final two games of the recent ODI series against the West Indies. He also scored an astounding 70* (52) in the final ODI, smacking four fours and five sixes in the process. Pandya was under considerable pressure going into the game because of his underwhelming performance in the IPL 2023 and the fact that he could only manage scores of 5 and 7 in the first two ODIs.

Since India’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2022, the cricketer from Gujarat has been assigned leadership responsibilities for T20Is. Pandya has captained India in 12 T20 internationals since that time, recording eight wins and two losses. In January of last year, he was also selected as the team’s vice-captain for ODIs.

When Hardik Pandya led the Gujarat Titans to an IPL championship in their inaugural season in 2022, the world was aware of his leadership abilities. Since then, he has been mentioned as Rohit Sharma’s replacement as India’s white-ball captain.

In the opening T20I, the West Indies scored 149/6.

While everything was going on, the West Indies, who had chosen to bat first in the first T20I, amassed 149/6 in their allotted 20 overs. With a score of 48 (32) and innings that included three fours and three sixes, captain Rovman Powell led his team in scoring. India’s two preferred bowlers were Yuzvendra Chahal (2/24, 3 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/31, 4 overs).