Hardik Pandya is turning on the heat in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The star all-rounder has helped Baroda win several games in the domestic T20 tournament, hitting 231 runs in four matches of the tournament.
The senior Indian pro continued his Midas touch in the fourth match in Indore as well. In Baroda's fourth game against Tripura, Hardik played another fiery cameo and hit 47 runs from 23 balls. The cameo included a highly prolific 28-run over off left-arm spinner Parvez Sultan, smashing him for four sixes and a four in all the six deliveries that he faced. He had earlier hit 29 runs in an over against Tamil Nadu earlier.
Coming to bat at No.4 during a 110-run chase against Tripura, Hardik sent Sultan all around the park in the 10th over. With only 42 needed off 66 deliveries, Hardik began the over with a six above long-on on an overly-pitched delivery outside off. With fans jumping and cheering for him, the right-handed batter sent Sultan over the ropes in the same direction on the third ball, this time on a short-pitched one for a maximum.
The bowler erred in his line and length again and bowled a full toss on Hardik's pads which the batter happily accepted for another six over deep mid-wicket. He edged the fifth delivery, which was short outside off four a four at third man before tonking another maximum on the sixth one over long-off to cap off the over.
Watch the 28-run over of Hardik Pandya:
Hardik departed in the next over when he was caught by Sankar Paul off Manisankar Murasingh, but the damage was done. His 47-run knock was filled with five sixes and three fours. His outing helped Baroda chase down the paltry total in only 11.2 overs. This was Baroda's fourth consecutive win in the tournament. They had earlier defeated Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu before dispatching the Tripura side.
Baroda leads the Group B points table which features seven other teams apart from them. The Karunal Pandya-led Baroda team has 16 points in four games. Saurashtra are second with 12 points, followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttarakhand, all on eight points. Karnataka have four points, while Tripura and Sikkim are yet to open their mark in the group.
