It looks like the Hardik Pandya we are accustomed to seeing his back to form, with the all-rounder taking on the Bangladesh bowlers. Making his return to the Indian side after injury, Pandya got off to a blazing start, including bashing Tanvir Islam for three back to back sixes. Hardik’s knock comes as a relief and good news for the Men in Blue, considering that he is India’s designated finisher.
Hardik Pandya storms back to form
Hardik Pandya’s return to form comes after a miserable IPL season that saw both the all-rounder and the Mumbai Indians followed. Pandya showed intent right from ball number 1 in the T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up game at the Nassau County cricket stadium in New York. Pandya finished the innings with 40 runs to his name from 23 deliveries and with 2 fours and 4 sixes, at a strike rate of 173.91.
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“I am in that zone right now [where] I am going and asking the 16-year-old [self] – because he is my actual motivator, because if that guy hadn’t set the platform I probably wouldn’t have been here,” Hardik said.
“Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won’t get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for,” Hardik said ahead of the T20 World Cup in an interview with Star Sports.
After the 2023 ODI World Cup, this will be Hardik‘s first assignment with the national team. During the World Cup match against Bangladesh, Hardik slipped on his bowling mark and hurt his ankle. The all-rounder skipped series against Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan and directly joined the Mumbai Indians bandwagon in IPL 2024.