Hardik Pandya Bowled A Sensational Spell In IPL 2022 Final And Fans Can’t Keep Calm

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Jatin Khandelwal

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Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl a single ball in the last two seasons as he struggled with his back injury and issues which didn’t allow him to bowl even a few overs.

Now, having taken months off from the game between the T20 World Cup in November last year and the start of the IPL 2022 in March, a reinvigorated Pandya, the captain of the new franchise Gujarat Titans, has delivered a performance to remember, and a shutdown display to anyone questioning his abilities with the ball which are heightened than ever.

HARDIK PANDYA. 3/17. IN A FINAL. 

Pandya bowled 30 overs in the IPL 2022, bowling in 10 matches while he didn’t bowl in the other games as he suffered a minor groin injury, and also for the fact that his main five bowlers plus Rahul Tewatia had done the job.

In the final, against the Rajasthan Royals, though, Pandya took the onus on himself to deliver a sensational performance with the ball. Having picked up 5 wickets until the final in the season, Pandya added three to his tally – and three big ones: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer – conceding only 17 runs in his quota of 4 overs.

Buttler is the Orange Cap winner of the tournament and has been in a marauding form against RCB in the previous game. Samson has been electric in the middle-overs taking the attack to the bowlers, while Hetmyer has been the top finisher for RR. Pandya hurried, deceived, and outdid, them in a phenomenal display of length and hard length bowling on the Ahmedabad surface that had bounce.

When at 59/1 after 8 overs, Jos Buttler and Samson were set to take off, title the game hanging in balance to their side. At a crucial juncture, Pandya himself took the ball and with only his second delivery, he bounced out Samson, an elegant striker who this time, though, mistimed and misconnected his pull.

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What followed was just applaudable: four dot balls followed the Samson dismissal as Pandya used the slight seam movement and bounce from the surface against Devdutt Padikkal. His first over going for just a solitary run and his second over went for three runs off the bat with Padikkal once against struggling against the seamer.

Continuing the spell, on the first ball of his third over, Pandya put GT well in front in the game as he had Buttler with a classic back of length delivery which seamed a hint away from the RR opener, taking his outside edge through to Saha. Another 3-run over.

Finding himself in the middle of a dream and a game-breaking spell, Pandya, despite his perennial back injury, decided to continue in his spell and bowled a fourth over. To his delight, he had another wicket – that of Hetmyer.

The West Indian had hit him for a couple of boundaries, but on the last ball of his spell, Pandya had his revenge, a soft dismissal: early into his defence, Hetmyer’s leading-edge popped straight to Pandya who took off for a sprint in his celebration.

Fans on Twitter hailed Hardik Pandya for his sensational bowling spell in the all-important game.

Check out the best Tweets:

Also Read: Here’s Why Hardik Pandya Is The Real Winner Of IPL 2022

 

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