Bhubaneswar: He is back and that too with a huge bang. All-rounder Hardik Pandya announced that he is ready and fit to play for India again with a 37-ball century in a DY Patil T20 Cup match in Mumbai. He scored 105 in 39 balls and followed it up with five wickets.
Pandya’s recent batting histrionics have attracted a lot of attention. Immediately after the innings Pandya had said, “If it (the ball) is in my arc I back myself to clear the ground.”
However, the most effusive among all the compliments have come from Pandya’s fiancee Natasa Stankovic who got engaged with the cricketer on New Year’s Day. She shared his picture from the match on Instagram, with text written on it: “37-ball hundred for Hardik ‘Kung Fu’ Pandya. The deadly hitter is back at work.” Stankovic added stickers of a roaring lion and ‘my heart is full’ on her Instagram story post.
Before this innings Pandya had gone to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation. He had suffered a back injury and had gone under the knife in October last year. Now with this brilliant all-round show, he will certainly be in the reckoning for selection to the Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. Incidentally outgoing chairman of the BCCI senior selection committee MSK Prasad was at the ground to watch Pandya’s powerful batting display.
The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala will host the first ODI March 12, followed by matches in Lucknow and Kolkata March 15 and 18 respectively.
Playing for Reliance 1 against CAG in a Group C encounter of the 16th DY Patil T20 Cup on Tuesday, Pandya scored 105 runs off just 39 balls, and helped his team post 252/5 in 20 overs. Reliance 1 then bowled out CAG for 151 to claim a 101 run win in their final league match at the Reliance Corporate Park in Ghansoli.
PNN & Agencies
