"IPL mein bilkul nhi chalta, World Cup mein Dhoom machata hain" - Fans react as Hardik Pandya scores 32 in IND vs AFG 2024 T20 World Cup match
Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a significant contribution with the bat during their Super 8 clash against Afghanistan at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, June 20. On the back of Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav's impactful knocks, the Men in Blue posted 181 in their 20 overs.
India won the toss and chose to bat first. The decision didn't yield a positive start as Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the third over. The Men in Blue managed to stitch together a couple of partnerships. However, Afghanistan struck every time to stall the momentum until Hardik joined Suryakumar in the middle.
Suryakumar was the aggressor, while Hardik chose to sit back and play second fiddle. The ace all-rounder unleashed some shots after Suryakumar departed, including hitting a massive 98-meter six against the wind.
Hardik Pandya eventually departed while trying to clear the boundary while scoring 32 off 24 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes.
Fans were certainly happy to see Hardik back among the runs as the T20 World Cup slowly approaches towards the business end. He batted only once before this game against Pakistan in New York, where he scored only seven runs.
Here are some reactions:
"I think people will understand who the better all-rounder is any day. You can't compare any all-rounder to Hardik Pandya. He is the best whenever he plays for India in ICC tournaments," a fan wrote.
"Happy Tears what a shot. Glimpse of peak Hardik Pandya. He is well and truly back," another fan chimed in.
"Jiwan hardik pandya jaisa chahiye IPL mein bilkul nhi chalta, worldcup mein Dhoom machata hain," wrote another fan.
How has Hardik Pandya fared with the ball in the T20 World Cup?
The all-rounder landed in the USA on the back of a terrible campaign in IPL 2024 for the Mumbai Indians (MI). He was traded from the Gujarat Titans to Mumbai and was appointed as skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma. The move didn't sit well with fans and they criticized him throughout the tournament.
The boos and chatters took a toll on his performance, as Mumbai finished last in the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
However, it seems that Pandya has put his IPL 2024 performances in the past and looked exceedingly well so far in the mega event. He picked up seven wickets in three matches ahead of the Super 8 clash against Afghanistan. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Arshdeep Singh.