Touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has earned a name for himself in his short international career. Since making his debut against Australia in January last year, Pandya has become an indispensable member of the Indian cricket team, particularly in the limited overs format.
Over the last one year, Pandya has garnered immense praise from all corners of the cricketing fraternity for his astonishing match-finishing abilities and useful seam bowling which has provided India many breakthroughs at crucial junctures. To some extent, the Baroda cricketer has ended India's long-awaited search for a fast-bowling all-rounder since the legendary Kapil Dev.
A product of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pandya broke into the limelight with his impresive showing in the cash-rich league which played the perfect role of a launchpad for the young cricketer. The 24-year old also performed well in the domestic circuit before setting the international stage on fire with his big-hitting exploits. After an ordinary 2016, Hardik so far has been in a stupendous form this year.
With his consistent showings at the biggest level, Pandya has become a vital cog in the present Indian team setup. After debuting in the limited-overs format, he made his debut in Test cricket on the tour of Sri Lanka and started off with a fifty. In the same series, he added another feather to his cap with a century in whites in the third Test against the Islanders.
In the past couple of years, the young Pandya has evolved immensely as a cricketer - he has not only mastered the art of scoring quick runs at the death but has also shown great maturity while batting at the number four position in the Indian batting order. In the recently-concluded ODI series against the world champions, Hardik won his first 'Man of the Series' award after helping India beat Australia 4-1 in the five-match rubber. Pandya scored 222 runs at an average of 55.50. and took six wickets in five matches for India.
On Wednesday as he turns 24, many present and former cricketers wish the 'New Superstar' of Indian cricket a very Happy B'day. Let's take a look at some of the tweets:
Pandya, who shares his birthday with legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, also took to Twitter to wish the superstar.
