"Hardik Pandya giving a tribute to KL Rahul" - Twitterati split as GT captain scores 66 off 50 balls vs LSG in IPL 2023
Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya led from the front against KL Rahulโs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, April 22. The right-handed batter scored 66 off 50 balls at a strike rate of 132, including four sixes and two boundaries.
At one point in time, the 29-year-old was batting at 41 off 42 balls but then shifted gears to ensure the defending champions posted a respectable total.
Pandya smashed three sixes and a boundary in the latter part of his knock before getting caught by KL Rahul at long-on off Marcus Stoinisโ bowling in the 20th over.
Fans on Twitter expressed mixed reactions to Hardik Pandyaโs two-faced innings. One user tweeted:
"Hardik Pandya giving a tribute to KL Rahul."
Hardik pandya giving a tribute to KL Rahul
#LSGvsGT
Here are some of the other best Twitter reactions:
Hardik woke up and decided to bat like KL Rahul against KL Rahul's team
#LSGvsGT
#HardikPandya
One person who is going slightly under the radar and escaping criticism with his attacking captaincy and also results is Hardik Pandya the batter.
For sure the flair is missing, lost all the range hitting ability which he had developed with MI
#LSGvsGT
Beautiful fifty from Hardik pandya.
#TATAIPL2023 #LSGVGT #HardikPandya #msdhoni #jadeja #FafDuPlessis #ViratKohli https://t.co/svPdyNXIQL
Fabulous Inning by Hardik Pandya on this Turning track against Quality Spin Attack.
This has to be one of the best Inning of IPL 2023.
#IPL2023 #GTvsLSG
Good knock this from Hardik Pandya, Specially on Lucknow wicket, this pitch should be banned for T20s !!
#LSGvGT โข @hardikpandya7
@mufaddal_vohra Fans seeing Innings of Hardik Pandya against LSG :) https://t.co/GLxa4VlGNJ
After watching 1st innings I'm confused wether the pitch of #Lucknow is slow or the decision of captain #HardikPandya to bat first was wrong .... Even hitters like Vijay Shankar & David Miller couldn't hit boundary when the team needs most runs !
#GTvsLSG
Hardik Pandya played a good inning under pressure however this is not enough for defending champions. They could have score more.
Well, let's see how this match turns out in the end. #LSGvsGT https://t.co/s7TNmZSZtd
For the uninitiated, Pandya has so far failed to live up to expectations in terms of strike rate (121.05), having scored 115 runs in five games. He returned with figures of 8,5,8, and 28 in his first four innings with the bat in IPL 2023.
Hardik Pandya and Wriddhiman Saha help GT set a 136-run target for LSG
A clinical batting performance from Hardik Pandya and Wriddhiman Saha helped Gujarat Titans set a 136-run target against the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
Saha, in particular, scored 47 runs off 37 deliveries, including six boundaries, to give the Titans a solid start. The remaining batters, though, failed to deliver with the bat, as Vijay Shankar was the only other batter to reach double figures.
For LSG, Krunal Pandya emerged as the pick of the bowlers, returning with figures of 2/16. Marcus Stoinis also starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/20. Meanwhile, Naveen-ul-Haq and Amit Mishra took one wicket apiece.
LSG playing XI: KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi.
GT playing XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (c), Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, and Mohit Sharma.
Follow LSG vs GT live score updates here.