Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya once again gave a testament to his sheer prowess with a stellar show with the bat in the IND vs SA 5th T20I. Pandya put up a match-winning performance to help India seal the five-match series 3-1, after blasting a fiery 25-ball 63 at a blistering strike rate of 252, comprising five boundaries and five maximums.
Pandya gave a hint of the carnage that was about to unfold, taking on the attack right from the word go. He announced his arrival to the pitch with a six off the first ball he faced, that went and also hit a cameraman.
When asked about his mindset during his batting, the 32-year-old revealed that he had forecasted before the game that he would deposit the first ball over the fences.
Hardik said in the post-match presentation, “Today I just felt it. I actually told my teammate and partner beforehand that I was going to step out first ball and try to hit it for six. I was confident it would come off. The situation suited my style; I backed myself and it worked. I took a calculated risk and thankfully it went my way.”
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With his explosive batting today, Hardik Pandya became the first Indian to score 2000 runs and take 100 wickets in the T20I format. Before the match, he was 61 runs short of the milestone but his quickfire fifty ensured that Pandya achieved the rare feat.
Apart from that, he also became the second fastest Indian to a T20I fifty off just 16 balls, trailing only to Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball feat that he did in 2007.
Not just with the bat, Pandya contributed with the ball as well picking up a wicket, which eventually earned him the Player of the Match award.
Hardik Pandya’s brilliant form will be a big positive for India as they gear up to defend their T20 crown, when they co-host the T20 World Cup 2026 early next year in February.
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