Today marks the 28th birthday of Indian cricket star, Hardik Pandya. All his fans and colleagues around the world have taken to social media to celebrate the skipper’s birthday.
Hardik Pandya rose to fame in 2015, when he was picked up by Mumbai Indians to play in the Indian Premier League. Subsequently, he stepped into national and international cricket thereafter. Hardik Pandya is a well-known all-rounder from the Indian cricket team. He has impressed his fanbase with his express deliveries, exceptional fielding, and hard-hitting runs.
Hardik made his international debut in 2016 against Australia. Besides, he represented India in 11 Tests, 62 ODIs, and 49 T20Is.
Let’s have a look at some of his awesome performances from his career:
MI vs CSK (21 runs off 8 balls), IPL 2015
Mumbai Indians were on the edge of defeat by Chennai Super Kings at their home ground Chepauk. MS Dhoni, CSK’s captain gave to Pawan Negi to bowl the last over. However, Hardik ensured Mumbai Indians’ win by knocking 21 runs out of 8 deliveries. The skipper got appraisals from fans and even from their coach Ricky Ponting.
India vs Bangladesh (2 for 29) T20 WC, 2016
Bangladesh was on the verge of winning the game. They just needed 11 runs to win in the last over. Dhoni, India’s then captain gave to Hardik to bowl the last over. In the first two balls, he gave away four runs each. Bangladesh required 2 runs from 3 balls. However, Hardik dismissed two of their batsman and bowl outside off in the last ball which made the batsman lose the opportunity to run. He made a win for India in that season.
MI vs KKR (91 runs off 34 balls), IPL 2019
Mumbai Indians had to chase 233 runs in that match against KKR. Though Hardik made a fabulous 91 runs off 34 balls, the team faced a defeat. However, the jaw-dropping performance of Hardik, made it memorable for the cricket fans.
India vs Pakistan (76 runs off 43 balls), Champions Trophy Final 2017
In the Champions Trophy Final, India needed to cover 339 runs. However, in a very short time, India’s top and middle-order collapsed. Hardik scored 73 runs out of 43 deliveries. Though his performance was treating to the eyes, India lost the match that year.
India vs Sri Lanka (108 runs off 96 balls), 2017
In the 3rd Test match against Sri Lanka, Hardik score 108 runs which included eight boundaries and seven sixes. Pandya paralleled himself to former cricketer Virendra Sehwag who scored seven sixes against Sri Lanka in 2009. He was the first Indian batsman to score 26 runs in an over which outdid Sandeep Patil’s record of 24 runs.
