In November 2021, Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya got injured and couldn’t bowl much. People worried if he could still play well for the team.
By October 2023, he’s back in top form and ready for the World Cup. After a lot of training, he can both bat and bowl effectively again.
India has been needing a player who can do both, and Hardik Pandya fits that role perfectly now.
Let’s look at five times he played exceptionally well for India:
5. 33 vs Pakistan- 2022
It was an exciting cricket game between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Dubai. Pakistan made 147 runs before getting all out. India started batting nervously and lost wickets quickly, but Hardik Pandya stayed calm. He scored 33 runs off just 17 balls, including four fours and a six. With India needing 21 runs from 12 balls, Hardik hit two fours in a row against Haris Rauf. Then he hit another four, helping India win the match.
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4. 92* vs Australia- 2021
In the last game against Australia in December 2022, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja played very well for India. They helped India score 302 runs without losing many wickets. Pandya scored 92 runs, and Jadeja scored 66 runs, with both of them remaining not out until the end.
Their partnership was important, adding 150 runs together. Pandya hit seven boundaries and one six, while Jadeja hit five boundaries and three sixes. They scored 110 runs in the last 10 overs of the game.
After batting, the Indian bowlers did an excellent job. They limited Australia to 289 runs, which helped India win the final game of the series.
3. 83 vs Australia- 2017
Before this game, Hardik Pandya had only scored one century and taken one five-wicket haul in his career. But in this match, he didn’t worry about those stats. He played incredibly well and helped India win the first ODI of the series on his own.
The pitch in Chennai was different from usual Indian pitches, with more bounce. Pandya’s power hitting and MS Dhoni’s clever play helped India recover from a tough position at 87 for 5 to reach 281 runs. Pandya scored a brilliant 83 runs.
Despite some drizzle, the target was changed to 164 runs in 21 overs. Pandya then showed his bowling skills, using his knuckleball to dismiss Steven Smith and Travis Head. India won the match by 26 runs.
2. 51 vs England- 2022
In the first T20 cricket match between India and England in 2022, India won by 50 runs at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Hardik Pandya was the star player.
Pandya was named Player of the Match. He scored his first 50 runs in a T20 game and took four crucial wickets while England was trying to chase the target.
India batted first after winning the toss. Pandya helped boost the score by making 51 runs off 33 balls. India ended up with 198 runs in their 20 overs. In the second half of the game, Pandya took out four important England players: Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran.
1. 108 vs Sri Lanka- 2017
Hardik Pandya did something amazing in a cricket match against Sri Lanka. He scored his first century in Test cricket, helping India take a strong lead. Pandya made 100 runs off 86 balls, hitting seven boundaries and seven sixes. He played even faster in the second half of his innings, going from fifty to a hundred in just 25 balls, with two fours and six more sixes. India ended their innings with 487 runs. Sri Lanka couldn’t keep up and lost by a big margin, with India winning by an innings and 171 runs.
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