Hardik Pandya has continued his rise in international and with another stunning all-round performance, against Pakistan, the 28-year-old proved why he’s India’s MVP in the shortest format.
Pandya lit up everyone’s Sunday night by taking India over the line in a thrilling encounter in Dubai, and finished off the game in style.
Hardik Pandya is India’s MVP in T20 cricket
India needed 19 runs off 10 balls with Pandya on 15 off 11 balls. Then came what seemed a decisive three blows to Haris Rauf – four over mid-on, and two fours through cow corner.
However, Pakistani spinner Mohammad Nawaz still managed to keep his side in the hunt, bringing the equation down to 6 runs needed off the last 3 balls. But, Pandya said enough is enough, and walloped a smash above long-on to bring the game home for India.
Pandya remained not out at 33* off 17 balls, cracking four fours and a six. Earlier in the day, he had starred with the ball for India with his three-wicket haul that restricted Pakistani to under 150.
Pandya returned with brilliant bowling figures of 3/25 in his 4 overs – he broke the back of Pakistan’s batting innings with his three-wicket haul, which comprised the dismissals of the well-set opener Mohammad Rizwan, the dangerous-looking and another well-set batter Iftikhar Ahmed, and left-hander batsman Khushdil Shah.
He took all these wickets with short and short-of-length deliveries – a style which is now become really talked about with Hardik Pandya.
Fans went berserk as Hardik Pandya turned finisher hitting the winning six.
Here are some of the best reactions on Pandya’s stunning all-round show today:
Hardik is a batting genius because he’s already reinvented himself in a short career. He now uses short arm jabs with powerful wrists to hit balls off a difficult length, doesn’t need to swing big to get runs. And then he can camp back and hit yorkers with flicks.
— Himanish Ganjoo
(@hganjoo153) August 28, 2022
(@hganjoo153) Never forget pic.twitter.com/qUxaMMQ3oi
— Dweplea (@dweplea) August 28, 2022
“They almost forgot my name, but I got it injected in their vein.” pic.twitter.com/Uu5KOWSVjP
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) August 28, 2022
Hardik went to play under Nehra & in 2 months came out as a combination of skipper ms + peak kohli batter + peak mcgrath bowler
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) August 28, 2022
Find someone who gives you as much belief as #HardikPandya did to #DineshKarthik at the end.
Basically said with his expressions, “Don’t worry, bro. I got it.”
Next ball 6⃣
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) August 28, 2022
Aage bhi karte rehna bhai.
— LOLendra Singh (@LOLendraSingh) August 28, 2022
No way Hardik just did a head wobble indicating I will take care just before taking the last shot.
— Ricky talks Cricket (@CricRicky) August 28, 2022
Only concern is Hardik may be peaking too soon for the T20 World Cup.
I hope not. I sincerely hope not.
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) August 28, 2022
Once upon a time Karan Johar nearly finished Hardik Pandya’s career.
— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) August 28, 2022
Calm as ever, and with incredible skill, Hardik Pandya takes India home. In this form, few better than him in this format.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 28, 2022
The way hardik Pandya gave that wink expression to Karthik after that dot ball that he can handle it and hit the six of the next ball. Man how confident this guy is of his abilities. Match winner hardik. #INDvsPAK
— SnEhA KuMaR ReDdY (@snehakumarreddy) August 28, 2022
Hardik is in such a great mental space right now. Calm and delivering through top notch performances. Huge for India.
— Gaurav Sundararaman (@gaurav_sundar) August 28, 2022
What a game for Hardik. Incredible with the ball (3-25 from his 4 overs), and then nails a tough finish (33* off 17) when the match was in the balance.
Should be the Player of the match, without even an iota of a doubt.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) August 28, 2022
Sir HARDIK
— Riyan Paragg (@ParagRiyan) August 28, 2022
After the game, while bagging the Player of the Match award, Hardik Pandya explained that his mantra while chasing is to just keep a calm head and assess the situation. Beaming in confidence, Pandya was even ready to chase down 15 runs in the last over.
“In bowling, it’s important to assess the situations and use your weapons. For me, bowling short and the hard lengths have been my strengths. It’s about using them well and asking the right questions to make the batters commit a mistake. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I’d have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple,” Hardik Pandya said.
