Tag: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Likely To Miss Afghanistan T20I

By LokMarg

Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is likely be missing the T20I series against Afghanistan, but will be fit before the Indian Premier League (IPL) from his ankle injury, a source told ANI.

Pandya was part of India’s ICC Cricket World Cup squad. He played four matches, picking five wickets with the best bowling figures of 2/34 and scoring 11* against Australia in his only innings before an ankle injury sustained during a league stage game against Bangladesh on October 19 ruled him out of the tournament.

Pandya has not played any international cricket since then, having missed the five-match T20I series against Australia and the three-match T20I and ODI series during the tour to South Africa as well. Suryakumar Yadav led India in all the T20I matches while KL Rahul led the team in ODIs in the absence of Pandya and regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who requested some time off from white-ball cricket after the World Cup final against Australia.

The three-match T20I series against Afghanistan will be India’s final international assignment, taking place from January 11-17, before the ICC T20 World Cup, which will take place in June at West Indies/USA.

In November this year, Pandya moved from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) after a trade between both franchises. The all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign with aplomb. In GT’s debut season in 2022, Hardik ensured a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy, while they finished runners-up in their second season after a last-ball defeat in a thrilling final earlier this year.

Pandya has big shoes to fill as the new skipper of MI, as Rohit has led the franchise to five IPL title wins. He was announced as the new skipper of MI days after his trade to the franchise which put him on the map.

In 31 matches for GT from 2022-23, Pandya scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also had 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20. Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022). (ANI)

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Hardik Pandya IPL 2024 Rohit Sharma

Hardik To Succeed Rohit Sharma As Mumbai Indians Captain For IPL 2024

By LokMarg

Mumbai Indians (MI), the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, announced on Friday that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be leading the team in the 2024 edition of the league.

“Mumbai Indians today announced a significant leadership transition for the upcoming 2024 season. Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains the illustrious Rohit Sharma,” MI said in a statement.

In November this year, Pandya moved from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) after a trade between both franchises. The all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign with aplomb. In GT’s debut season in 2022, Hardik ensured a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy, while they finished runners-up in their second season after a last-ball defeat in a thrilling final earlier this year.

Pandya has big shoes to fill as the new skipper of MI, as Rohit has led the franchise to five IPL title wins.

In 31 matches for GT from 2022-23, Pandya scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also had 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20.

Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).

Commenting on this transition Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said, “It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin (Tendulkar) to Harbhajan (Singh) and Ricky (Ponting) to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.”

“We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL.”

“Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best,” concluded Mahela. (ANI)

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Hardik Pandya

ICC CWC 2023: Hardik Twists Ankle During Bangladesh Clash

By LokMarg

In a terrible development for the Indian side, all-rounder Hardik Pandya injured himself and walked off the field during the ICC Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh at Pune’s MCA Stadium on Thursday.

In the match between India and Bangladesh, Bangladesh was off to a fine start. Pandya came to bowl his first over of the game in the ninth over and was smashed for two successive fours in second and third deliveries by Litton Das.

While attempting to stop the second four, Pandya tried to use his right leg to stop the ball but slipped and twisted his ankle. He appeared to be in pain and got some treatment on his left leg and his ankle was taped. Pandya had a small practice run but did not look good and had to be taken off the field.

Star batter Virat Kohli, who normally rarely bowls no matter what format, completed the rest of the over for Pandya.

Hardik’s fitness is extremely crucial for India’s World Cup chances because as a pace-bowling all-rounder, he helps the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami/Shardul Thakur with some overs of his own and gets crucial wickets too. With the bat, Pandya at number six is capable of anchoring the innings and doing some power-hitting, depending on the situation.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) updated the fans later about Pandya through their X (formerly Twitter) account.

“Hardik Pandya’s injury is being assessed at the moment and he is being taken for scans,” tweeted BCCI.

He has taken five wickets so far in the tournament. He has not got a chance to bat only once, scoring 11* against Australia.

Coming to the match, Bangladesh stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 clash here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Thursday.

Bangladesh’s regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who is battling an injury, opted to sit out this clash while India announced an unchanged team.

After registering back-to-back three victories in the ongoing World Cup, Rohit Sharma-led Team India is on a red-hot streak and will aim to keep their unbeaten record going against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Nasum Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. (ANI)

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Afridi In Asia Cup

I Liked Rohit’s Wicket Better: Afridi In Asia Cup 2023

By LokMarg

After dismantling India’s top batting order in the Asia Cup clash, Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi believes that India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s wickets were crucial for them but he liked Men in Blue skipper’s wicket.

Afridi was the wrecker-in-chief as he dismantled India’s top order and took the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. 

“That was our plan with the new ball. I think both (Virat and Rohit) were crucial wickets, every batter is the same for me. But I think I liked Rohit’s wicket better. The plans by our fast bowlers worked. Naseem is bowling at 150 kph, really happy with that, he’s really fast. The new ball might swing and seam, but nothing much after that. It will be easier to score runs once the ball gets old (in the run chase),” Shaheen Shah Afridi said during a post-innings presentation. 

Coming to the high-octave match, Ishan Kishan’s unbridled 82 and Hardik Pandya’s blinding batting display at Pallekele helped India post 266 after Pakistan’s pacer attack dismantled Men in Blue’s top order in their Asia Cup 2023 campaign opener here at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Kishan and Pandya’s stand of 138 off 140 balls laid the foundation for India’s total of 266. Pakistan’s pacer attack was too good for the Indian batter as they bundled out Men in Blue for 266 in 48.5 overs. 

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi was the wrecker-in-chief as he dismantled India’s top order and took the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah bagged three-wicket hauls each. (ANI)

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Asia Cup India Pak

Asia Cup: Kishan, Pandya’s Gritty Fightback Helps India Post 266 Against Pak

By LokMarg

Ishan Kishan’s unbridled 82 and Hardik Pandya’s blinding batting display at Pallekele helped India post 266 after Pakistan’s pacer attack dismantled Men in Blue’s top order in their Asia Cup 2023 campaign opener here at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Kishan and Pandya’s stand of 138 off 140 balls laid the foundation for India’s total of 266. Pakistan’s pacer attack was too good for the Indian batter as they bundled out Men in Blue for 266 in 48.5 overs. 

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi was the wrecker-in-chief as he dismantled India’s top order and took the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah bagged three-wicket hauls each. 

Put to ball first, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam gave the new ball to Shaheen Shah Afridi and the pacer almost pulled what could have been the big breakthrough for them, however, India captain Rohit Sharma was lucky as the square leg fielder dropped the catch. The ball ran away for a four on the second delivery of the game. 

Play was interrupted due to rain with India 15-0 after 4.2 overs. Rohit was decisive in his approach and made the Pakistan bowlers toil hard making merry of the excellent batting conditions on offer. On the other end, Shubman Gill took his time to settle on the pitch. 

After a brief halt of half an hour due to rain, the play was resumed. India dealt with a major blow as Afridi came up with an in-swinging ripper delivery that was able to pierce through Rohit’s defence.

Rohit’s wicket invited Virat Kohli to the crease and the star batter announced himself with a classic cover drive. 

Indian top-order had no answer to an impressive Afridi attack as Pakistan’s star pacer cut short Kohli’s stay at the crease. Kohli played the ball over his stumps on the good length ball from Afridi.

The ball then struck the back pad of Kohli and changed the direction to fall on the stumps, leaving India under tremendous pressure. Afridi’s lethal in-swingers sent packing Rohit and Kohli to the pavilion. The early blows saw India reeling at 30-2 after 7 overs.

The right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat. The right-handed Iyer and southpaw Gill kept the scoreboard ticking for India thereafter, even as the scoring rate dipped.

Iyer slammed Haris Rauf for two boundaries as he perfectly picked the gap between mid-on and mid-wicket fielders to get fours.

A miscue from Iyer launched the ball high in the air which landed straight into the hands of Fakhar Zaman, who took a sharp catch at mid-wicket off Haris Rauf’s short ball.  

Rain again interrupted the play as India were at 51/3 after 11.2 overs. After a rain halt, Kishan resumed India’s innings with a six off Rauf’s delivery. 

Struggling Shubman Gill, who is yearning hard to find his form failed once again to deliver with his bat in unfamiliar conditions. The 15th over ensured Gill’s struggle with the bat continued.

Rauf got better of Gill with a fuller-than-good length delivery. A groan from Gill and a loud roar from Rauf narrated the entire story of the over. 

The right-handed batter Hardik Pandya then came out to bat and the latter announced his arrival with a four as he went forward and opened his bat face to guide it to the third man.

With four wickets down, Kishan did not shy away from playing attacking shots. Kishan and Pandya drove India’s innings from that point and took their team’s total beyond the 100-run mark in under 20 overs. After 20 overs of the play, India’s score read 102/4. 

After halfway of the match, Pandya and Kishan steadied the sinking Indian ship and rotated the strike brilliantly, not allowing the Pakistan bowlers to settle down while whacking the loose balls on offer.

Kishan was rewarded for his fearless approach as the batter brought up his half-century in 54 runs in the pressure game. Pandya joined the party with a fine half-century in 62 balls. 

The duo of Pandya-Kishan crossed the 100-run partnership stand. The duo kept the scoreboard ticking for Men in Blue against the strong Pakistan pace attack. 

In the 38th over of the game, Rauf broke the massive 138-run partnership as he removed well-set batter Kishan. The India batter departed after a solid knock of 82 off 81 deliveries. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja then came out to bat. 

Pandya in the 40th over, smoked Rauf for three boundaries with a deft touch, gathering 12 runs.

Afridi was brought back in the attack and the pacer bagged the important wicket of dangerous Pandya, who was near his century.

Pandya went back to the pavilion after playing a stunning knock of 87 off 90 deliveries. In the same over Afridi bagged the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja for 14. 

Pakistan pacers did not let India put their feet on the ground as Naseem Shah removed Shardul Thakur for 3 in the 45th over. Jasprit Bumrah then came out to bat and started his innings aggressively against Pakistan’s pace attack. 

Naseem then removed Kuldeep Yadav with a good-length delivery in the 49th over and on the fifth delivery of the game Pakistan pacer removed Bumrah to skittle out India for 266 in 48.5 overs.

Brief score: India 266 (Hardik Pandya 87, Ishan Kishan 82; Shaheen Afridi 4-35) vs Pakistan. (ANI)

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Rishabh Treatment DDCA

Pant Would Have Made Huge Impact: Hardik

By LokMarg

India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya feels that Rishabh Pant’s presence would have made a huge impact on the Indian team and noted that he was very much a part of plans for the ICC World Cup 2023.

India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant escaped a near-fatal accident on Friday with burn injuries among others that will require plastic surgery and he could be airlifted to Delhi if required. He met with a serious accident while returning from Delhi to Roorkee as his car collided with the divider on the Narsan border of Roorkee near Hammadpur Jhal on Friday.
“Coming to the point, obviously he was a very important part of (Team India’s plans in the world Cup year). But, now everyone knows the situation,” said India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya about Rishabh Pant.

ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016 captain Ishan Kishan, who recently scored a double ton against Bangladesh in the third ODI in Chattogram, could be considered a replacement. During his knock in Bangladesh, Ishan Kishan broke the record of Chris Gayle for the fastest double ton in ODIs.

Sanju Samson is also in the fray to fill in the shoes of Pant while KL Rahul also contributes as a wicket-keeper.

“There are a lot of people who can get opportunities. I am seeing that if Rishabh also would have been there, he could have made a huge impact. But now, let’s wait and see what the future holds for us,” said Hardik Pandya.

The mishap took place while the cricketer was on his way to Roorkee from Delhi, and his car collided with the divider on the Narsan border of Roorkee near Hammadpur Jhal.

According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement, Rishabh has two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back. Rishabh’s condition remains stable, and he has now been shifted to Max Hospital, Dehradun, where he will undergo MRI scans to ascertain the extent of his injuries and formulate his further course of treatment.

Wicket-keeper and batter Pant has represented India in 33 Test matches scoring 2271 runs at an average of 43.67 with five Test tons to his name with his highest score being 159 not out. Pant has 119 catches and 14 stumpings to his name.

In ODIs, he has 865 runs to his name in 30 matches at an average of 34.60 with five half-centuries and one ton with a strike rate of 106.65. With the gloves, Pant has 26 catches and one stumping to his name.

In 66 T20I the wicket-keeper batter has scored 987 runs with three half-centuries to his name at an average of 22.43 with a strike rate of 126.37. (ANI)

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Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya’s Resolution Is To Win World Cup For India

By LokMarg

India’s wait for an ICC title has been continuing and the last time India won an ICC tournament was Champions Trophy in 2013 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy.

Hardik Pandya, who is leading the Indian team in the three-match T20I series against Asia Cup Champions Sri Lanka starting on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium, has one resolution in 2023 and that is to win the World Cup.

“To win the World Cup for my country. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it in 2022 but we want to do it in a better way this year,” Pandya said responding to a query at a press conference.

India lost to England by 10 wickets in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final dashing hopes of millions of supporters.

India also performed poorly in Asia Cup held from August to September last year and failed to reach the final. The team lost ODI series to Bangladesh 2-1.

“I know the only language that is hard work. Injuries are not in my hand but I believe in the process. 2022 was individually my best year. We missed World Cup but that’s part and parcel of the game. My goal is to help the team win multi-nation tournaments, ” said Hardik Pandya.

Indian limited overs teams over the years have done well in bilaterals but have failed to replicate that performance in multi-nation tournaments.

India also does not have too many matches to play ahead of the IPL 2023 which means Hardik Pandya does not have too many games to give a chance to youngsters which makes things difficult for team management to get the right combination.

“Obviously the plans are set. We are looking forward to play the certain way which we did. Before IPL only six games are there. So, we don’t have much time to do a lot of things but going forward we will keep creating new plan and see which are the plans we will be sticking, which is working for us and going forward just make sure that we give ample opportunity, ” Pandya said.

Dasun Shanaka will lead Sri Lanka’s T20I and ODI squads against India, while Kusal Mendis will play the role of his deputy in ODIs.

The Sri Lanka’s tour comprises of three T20Is and as many ODIs. Sri Lanka will be touring India from January 3 to January 15 for three T20Is and three ODIs.

The first match of the series will be held on January 3, 2023, in Mumbai while the second and third will take place on January 5 and 7 in Pune and Rajkot respectively.

The ODIs will be held in Guwahati, Kolkata and Trivandrum on January 10, 12 and 15 respectively. Earlier on Tuesday BCCI announced India’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s squad for India tour: Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis (v-c for ODIs), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (only for T20Is), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (v-c for T20Is), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay (only for ODIs), Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando (only for ODIs), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Thushara (only for T20I).

India’s squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar. (ANI)

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India New Zealand final T20

India Wins Series Against NZ As Third T20I In Napier Ends In A Tie

By LokMarg

Heavy rain interrupted play with Team India scoring just enough for a tie in the final T20 against New Zealand here and walking away with a series win in the three-match series.

The Duckworth-Lewis method was employed as the rain did not allow play after India had scored 75/4 in 9 overs chasing a target of 161 runs.
With the first match having been washed away due to rain and India having won the second match, the Hardik Pandya led-team clinched the series 1-0. This is the second time India has won a T20 series under the leadership of Pandya. India had earlier won a series against West Indies under his leadership earlier this year.

Chasing 161, the visitors did not get the best of starts losing opener Ishan Kishan dismissed by Adam Milne for 10 in the second over as they lost the first wicket with only 13 runs on the board.

Rishabh Pant looked dangerous in his short stay but was dismissed in the very next over by Tim Southee for 11 of 5 balls. In the very next ball, Shreyas Iyer was sent packing to leave India tottering at 21/3.

India desperately needed a partnership and skipper Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav did just that by taking India’s total beyond the 50-run mark in 4.4 overs.

India went on to score 58 runs with the loss of three wickets in six overs of powerplay. Ish Sodhi was introduced into the attack and he broke the 39-run partnership.

Deepak Hooda walked out to join his skipper Hardik Pandya and the duo took India’s total to 75/4 in 9 overs. Rain then interrupted the play and it started pouring heavily forcing the umpires to call off the match.

India’s score of 75/4 in 9 overs was on par with the Kiwis as per the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Mohammed Siraj was declared as ‘Player of the Match’ while Suryakumar Yadav was named ‘Player of the Series.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. New Zealand faced a jolt in the second over as pacer Arshdeep Singh trapped Finn Allen leg-before-wicket for just three runs off four balls. NZ was 9/1 in 1.3 overs.

Mark Chapman joined Devon Conway, the other opener. Both started to hit Indian bowlers with some clean strikes. Conway in general looked aggressive, smashing Arshdeep for two fours and a six in the fourth over.

The duo was slowly building a good partnership but Chapman found Arshdeep at mid-on on Mohammed Siraj’s second delivery of the spell. Chapman was back for 12 off 12 balls. Kiwis were reduced to 44/2 in 5.2 overs.

Glenn Phillips joined Conway. At the end of six overs, NZ was at 46/2, with Phillips (1) and Conway (23) unbeaten.

Phillips and Conway brought up their fifty-run stand in 43 balls. In the second half of the innings, Phillips upped his run rate, smashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harshal Patel for fours and sixes. Conway brought up his half-century in 39 balls, while Phillips brought up his eighth T20I fifty in just 31 balls.

At the end of 15 overs, the Kiwi’s scorecard was much healthier at 129/2, with Phillips (53) and Conway (54) still on the crease.

The 86-run partnership between the duo came to an end as Siraj dismissed Phillips for 54 off 33 balls. New Zealand was at 130/3 in 15.5 overs.

Arshdeep also took another wicket quickly, sending back Conway for 59 off 49 balls. Kiwis were at 146/4 in 16.4 overs.

India continued to make a comeback in the match. As the pair of Siraj and Pant dismissed a dangerous James Neesham for a duck. In 17.1 overs, NZ had lost five wickets for 147 runs.

Mitchell Santner was Siraj’s fourth wicket, he was back in the pavilion for just one.

Kiwis’ collapse continued as all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was dismissed for 10 off five balls and Ish Sodhi was also dismissed. Arshdeep got both wickets, taking his wicket tally to four. NZ was at 149/8.

Adam Milne was run out by Siraj for zero. Kiwis finished their innings 160 all out, with Harshal Patel taking the last wicket, dismissing Tim Southee for six.

Mohammad Siraj was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets for 17 runs in four overs. Arshdeep also took 4/37. Harshal took a wicket.

Brief Scores: New Zealand: 160 in 19.4 overs (Devon Conway 59, Glenn Phillips 54, Mohammad Siraj 4/17, Arshdeep Singh 4/37) vs India 75/4 in 9 overs (Hardik Pandya 30*, Suryakumar Yadav 13; Tim Southee 2/27). (ANI)

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List Of Records Broken By Kohli

Kohli Helps India Beat Pak In A Cracker Of T20 World Cup Match

By LokMarg

An explosive half-century by star batter Virat Kohli and a century stand with Hardik Pandya helped India defeat Pakistan by four wickets in their Group 2, Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

With this win, India is at top of Group 2 with two points.

Chasing 160, India got off to a terrible start as opener KL Rahul was sent back to the pavilion by the pacer Naseem Shah for just four of eight balls. The opener disappointed in a crucial match once again, with an inside edge landing straight into the stumps. India was 7/1 at this point.

India received a second jolt when captain Rohit nicked one straight into the slips to Iftikhar Ahmed. The skipper lost his wicket for just 4 off 7 balls to pacer Haris Rauf. India was two down at 10 runs in 3.2 overs.

Eyes were on Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli once again to stitch another partnership. Suryakumar started with a silky straight drive and took three on the very next ball.

Suryakumar was looking really good, but Rauf got the big fish after he nicked one to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. India endured another huge blow as Suryakumar was back in the pavilion for just 15 off 10 balls. India was 26/3 in 5.3 overs.

Axar Patel was the next batter on the crease. At end of the powerplay in six overs, India was 31/3, with Virat (5) and Axar (2) at the crease. Patel also walked back after an unfortunate run-out for just 2. India had sunk to 31/4. Patel’s dismissal though involved Rizwan fumbling the runout and not hitting the stumps with the ball fully, but he got away with it.

Pandya and Kohli took India safe halfway through their innings, though singles continued without any boundaries. India was at 45/4 in 10 overs, with Virat (12) and Pandya (7) at the crease.

India reached the 50-run mark in 10.3 overs. Pandya hit Mohammad Nawaz for a huge six at the start of the 12th over, hitting the first six of the innings. Nawaz was hit for two more sixes, including a straight hit by Virat, giving India a valuable over which gave them 20 runs.

The duo brought up their 50-run stand in 40 balls.

At the end of 15 overs, India touched the 100-run mark. India was at 100/4, with Virat (42) and Hardik (32) at the crease. Thanks to these two, Men in Blue made a solid recovery, getting 55 runs in the last five overs.

Rauf swung some momentum to Pakistan’s side with an economical 16th over, conceding six. India needed 54 off 24 balls. Six runs came from the next over, reducing the equation to 48 off 18 balls.

Virat reached his half-century in 43 balls. The star batter swung the tides in favor of India once again, helping India get 17 more runs. Men in Blue needed 31 off 12 balls.

After Rauf dominated the 19th over, Virat swung things into India’s favor with two sixes in two balls. India needed 16 in the final over.

This pair of beloved players had to strike big in the last over, having scored 113 off 77 balls in their 77 balls. Pandya departed to Nawaz’s first ball, scoring 40 off 37 balls. India needed 16 off 5 balls and the ‘Finisher’ Dinesh Karthik was at the crease with Kohli. However, he was also stumped with two runs left and one ball to go.

Ashwin finished the match with a single, helping India clinch a four-wicket win. India finished at 160/6, with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls, with six fours and four sixes, and Ashwin unbeaten at 1.

Rauf (2/36) and Nawaz (2/42) were the picks of the bowlers for Pakistan. Naseem took a wicket too.

Early, fiery and top bowling spells by Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh helped India restrict arch-rivals Pakistan to 159/8 in the high-voltage clash of the Super 12 stage of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on Sunday.

For India, Arshdeep Singh bagged three wickets Hardik Pandya returned with a stunning figure of 3-30.

Shan Masood top-scored for Pakistan with 52 not out while Iftikhar Ahmed played a crucial knock of 51 runs.

Opted to bowl first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fiery bowling gave an excellent start to India as he restricted Pakistan batters from scoring runs. In the second over of the innings, Pakistan suffered a huge blow as their star batter Babar Azam was sent packing for a first-ball duck by Arshdeep Singh without scoring a run.

New batter Shan Masood then came out to bat. In the fourth over of the innings, Arshdeep struck again as he dismissed Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan for 4 runs off 12 deliveries, leaving Men in Green tottering at 15-2. Arshdeep Singh the left-arm pacer removed both the Pakistani openers inside the powerplay to provide India with the upper hand in the match.

Iftikhar Ahmed then came out to bat. Iftikhar and Masood both opened their hands and slammed boundaries at regular intervals. After the powerplay, Pakistan’s score read 32-2.

Despite being under pressure the duo of Iftikhar and Masood took their team’s total beyond the 50-run mark in the 9th over of the game. After 10 overs of the game, Pakistan’s score read 60/2.

Iftikhar shifted gears and slammed back-to-back two huge sixes, hammering Axar Patel for 21 runs in the 12th over of the innings. While slamming the Indian bowlers all around the ground Iftikhar brought up his half-century in 32 deliveries.

Mohammed Shami was brought back into the attack and he removed dangerman Iftikhar for 51 off 34. Pakistan’s 76-run stand for the third wicket was finally broken.

Shadab Khan then came to the crease but the batter could not do much as he was sent back to the pavilion by Hardik Pandya after scoring 5 runs off 6 balls in the 14th over. In the same over Pandya struck again as he dismissed the new batter, Haider Ali, for 2 runs, the Pakistani batter was caught out by Suryakumar Yadav.

Mohammad Nawaz welcomed Pandya’s spell with a stunning four, however, his stint was cut short after scoring just 9 runs in 6 deliveries. At this point, Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Arshdeep then delivered a stunning delivery to remove Asif Ali who was caught behind the wicket by Dinesh Karthik.

While hammering Indian bowlers all around the ground Shan Masood brought up his third T20I fifty in 40 balls. In the penultimate over of the innings, Shaheen Afridi slammed one four and one six on the delivery of Arshdeep.

In the last over, Bhuvneshwar sent Afridi packing after scoring 16 runs in 8 deliveries. New batter Haris Rauf then came to bat and he slammed a huge six to guide his team to a competitive total of 159/8 in 20 overs.

Brief score: Pakistan 159/8 (Shan Masood 52, Iftikhar Ahmed 51; Hardik Pandya 3-30) vs India: 160/6 (Virat Kohli 82, Hardik Pandya 40, Haris Rauf 2/36). (ANI)

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