Hardik Pandya unleashes beast mode in Ahmedabad with 16-ball fifty as India set 232-run target for SA
Haridk Pandya smashed the second-fastest half-century for India in the ongoing fifth and final T20I against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was at his brutal best while Tilak Varma showed his full range in the fifth and final T20I as India posted a mammoth 231 for 5 in 20 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pandya unleashed carnage on South Africa bowlers to smash the second-fastest fifty for India in 16 balls.
At one stage, Hardik, with 32 off 8 balls, looked set to surpass Yuvraj Singh, who holds the record for the fastest fifty by an Indian (12 balls). His rapid knock was studded with five fours and as many maximums.
Pandya scripts T20I history
Pandya also became the first Indian player in the history of the T20I format to score 2000 runs and take 100 wickets.
The 32-year-old Baroda all-rounder required 61 runs to join the 2000-run club, and he achieved the milestone during the penultimate over of India's innings.
Overall, he is the fifth Indian to score 2000 runs in T20Is.
While local boy Pandya entertained the Ahmedabad crowd with his brute strength, Tilak showed his class and range with a masterful knock. Varma (73 of 42) and Pandya (63 off 25 balls) shared a sensational 105-run stand off 44 balls for the fourth wicket in an absolute carnage-filled period of play.
Meanwhile, comeback-man Sanju Samson, who opened the batting in place of the injured vice-captain Shubman Gill, struck a fluent 22-ball 37 and shared a 63-run partnership with Abhishek Sharma (34 off 21 balls) as the home side, up 2-1 in the series, were off to a fine start.
Samson starts well, Varma and Pandya finish in style
Making a comeback to the team after warming the bench for five games, Samson brought up 8,000 runs in T20 cricket and completed 1,000 runs in T20Is. In his first T20I appearance since the Australia tour in October, Samson achieved the double milestone with a huge six off Marco Jansen over long on.
Varma made sure that India didn't lose momentum after Abhishek and later Samson's wickets with an aggressive start. However, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav (5) departed early to end a horror year with the bat.
Earlier, Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bowl first. While South Africa made one change to their playing XI, India replaced Harshit Rana with Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav with Washington Sundar and Gill with Samson.
Brief scores:
India 231 for 5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 34, Sanju Samson 37, Tilak Varma 73, Hardik Pandya 63; Corbin Bosch 2/44).