Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Hardik Pandya made a roaring comeback to cricket with a blinder of a knock to power India to a formidable total of 175 for 6 in the opening match of the five-T20I series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
The star all-rounder, returning to international cricket after a two-month injury lay-off, smashed a 25-ball half-century (his joint-fastest) to lift a sluggish Indian innings and gave his team a good chance of winning the contest.
Returning after 74 days following a left quadricep injury that forced him out of the Asia Cup, Pandya made an immediate impact.
Pandya showed no signs of rustiness en route to his sixth T2oI fifty after proving his fitness at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda with a 42-ball 77 not out recently.
Hardik scored more than half of the side's runs at a way better strike rate of 210.71. In comparison, the rest of the batters scored at 111.95. His unbeaten 59-run knock came off just 27 balls and consisted of six boundaries and four maximums. Courtesy of the four sixes, he also became only the fourth player to hit 100 T20I sixes for India.
205 - Rohit Sharma
155 - Suryakumar Yadav
124 - Virat Kohli
100 - Hardik Pandya
99 - KL Rahul
The Barabati Stadium came alive when Hardik walked out to bat. Almost all the Indian batters were struggling to time the ball, even those who got off to starts. The pitch was sticky, and South African bowlers were having a field day on it. Lungi Ngidi's three wickets and Marco Jansen's economical spell put India in a spot of bother. At 78 for 4 in 11.4 overs, India were heading towards a below-par total, but Hardik had other ideas.
Hardik was aggressive right from the word go and signalled his intentions by hitting Keshav Maharaj for two maximums in the 13th over. It seemed he was batting on a completely different surface. He shifted the momentum in India's favour with trademark flamboyant hitting, taking apart spinners and pacers alike.
Perhaps, with no other batter capable of finishing the way Hardik did, India would feel lucky to have him in the line-up. On a day when all the Indian batters struggled to get momentum, Hardik proved why he is so important in India's middle order as the team kicked off preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
