Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya faced a scandal after his team won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. On March 11 2026, attorney Wajid Khan Bidkar from Pune filed a legal complaint at Shivaji Nagar Police Station against Pandya. The complaint alleged that Pandya had disrespected the national flag during the Ahmedabad team’s victory celebrations.
The complaint states that viral videos showed Pandya running and dancing on the field while carrying the Indian Tricolour after India defeated New Zealand in the final match at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The complaint further alleges that Pandya, at one point, lay on a stage with his girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma, while the national flag remained tied to his back or draped over him. Advocate Khan claims that these actions amount to “obscene” behaviour and constitute a violation of Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which requires citizens to uphold the dignity of the national flag.
The officers at Shivaji Nagar police station confirmed they received the complaint, but they have not yet completed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). The complainant, who filed the case, wants to file it as a national flag violation because the incident occurred in Ahmedabad, which creates jurisdictional problems for the case.
The 1971 Act establishes that any person found guilty of this offence will face a maximum punishment of three years’ imprisonment and a financial penalty. Pandya achieved outstanding on-field success by taking 9 wickets during the tournament, which led to his selection in the ICC Team of the Tournament while the legal investigation continued.
