Hardik Pandya served a reminder of his hard-hitting skills during practice in Nagpur. Pandya returns to action ahead of the IND vs NZ 1st T20I on Wednesday. While batting in the nets, the 32-year-old accepted a challenge to hit the ball into the 1st Tier at the VCA Stadium.
Hardik was seen urging the staff at the stadium to move away from the area before taking guard. Both Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir were on the sidelines, watching the all-rounder at work. After a miss on the first, Hardik nailed it in the second. In fact, Pandya cleared the second tier, leaving Gambhir and Surya shell shocked.
Suryakumar turned to Dube who was next in the nets and remarked, "Dube abey 2nd Tier pe maar diya".
Hardik's six just underscores the immense confidence he has in his ability. The 32-year-old not only did achieve what he set out for, but passed with flying colours. He forced a smile out of head coach Gautam Gambhir, which in itself counts as a major milestone.
Pandya is India's dedicated finisher and his fitness and form are key to India's chances in the series. Part of the team that lifted the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, India will once again rely on him to bring the cup home next month.
Hardik was in fine form during the IND vs SA T20I series, scoring 2 half-centuries in a 3-1 series win. The second one at Ahmedabad was the second fastest by an Indian, coming in just 16 balls. With the ball, Hardik's ability to bowl across all phases allows India to further stretch their batting line up.
