He scored 53 runs in 30 deliveries, including four boundaries and as many maximums, at a strike rate of 176.67.
Hardik Pandya played another prudent knock against England in the fourth T20I in Pune to help India revive after early wickets. When he came to the crease, India were 79/5 and required a big partnership at a quick rate to post a fighting total on the board.
He scored 53 runs in 30 deliveries, including four boundaries and as many maximums, at a strike rate of 176.67. The start was again slow for the all-rounder, who was on 14 in his first 17 balls and gave flashbacks of the previous game, where he ended up playing a match-losing knock.
However, Hardik found his groove soon and accelerated brilliantly to score 39 runs in his final 13 deliveries at a strike rate of 300. This was a typical Pandya knock, who followed his regular template by taking some time at the start before exploding, which was also the need of the hour.
Hardik and Dube stitched an 87-run stand for the sixth wicket, the second-highest by an Indian pair for the sixth wicket or below. He also bowled an over later in the second innings but conceded 11 runs without taking any wickets.
With his latest T20I fifty, his fifth in the format, Hardik Pandya becomes the first Indian player to make 1500 runs, 50 wickets, and five fifties in T20Is. He has 1803 runs at an average of 28.17 with the bat and 94 wickets at 26.19 runs apiece in 113 T20I matches.
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Several other players have achieved this incredible feat in world cricket before. Hardik Pandya is also on the verge of another remarkable record, becoming only the second player after Shakib Al Hasan to have 1000 T20I runs and 100 T20I wickets.
He has 94 wickets in this format and will complete this milestone once he snares six more. He is the most premium all-rounder in the world and again proved his worth to bail India out of a precarious situation.
Generally, all-rounders specialise in one department, with their secondary skills not being good enough to trust. However, Hardik is equally capable with both bat and ball and has consistently done the job in both disciplines for the Men in Blue.
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