The all-rounder Hardik Pandya had smashed a stunning fifty during the 4th T20I match of the England tour of India 2025 where the side secured a 15-run victory at Pune.
The Men in Blues secured a 3-1 series win in the five-match T20I series. Hardik Pandya smashed 53 off 30 balls, smashing four fours and as many sixes. He got involved in a solid 97-run stand-off 45 balls with Shivam Dube to rescue the Indian innings from a precarious position of 79/5.
He was heavily criticised for his knock of 40 (35) in the third T20I in Rajkot after India lost the match by 26 runs. Pandya answered his critics in style with his free-flowing inning which eventually helped India seal a series win.
Following his impressive innings, Pandya said that he has always played for the fans as they give him the added motivation.
“I have always been someone who has always played for the fans. When they are there, when they are chanting, it gives me that added motivation. At the same point of time, I really want to do well for them,” said Pandya in a video released by the BCCI.
For Hardik Pandya, the love for the game & the fans is a 𝘽𝙊𝙉𝘿 𝘽𝙀𝙔𝙊𝙉𝘿 💙🤗
WATCH 🎥🔽 – By @mihirlee_58#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @hardikpandya7 | @IDFCFIRSTBank
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 1, 2025
Pandya acknowledged that the sport has given him so much back which keeps him honest and loyal to it.
“This sport does not wait much. Your first love always gives the kiss back. The sport has given me so much love and so much things back, I feel I have always have to turn up and be very honest and loyal to the sport,” he added.
Coming back to the match, After England decided to bowl first, India struggled to defend Saqib Mahmood’s bowling attacks, as he dismissed Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav in his very first over.
But Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh tried to forge a partnership before Adil Rashid get rid of the former for 29 runs. However, Shivam Dube came into attack and stablised the innings along with Hardik Pandya after the dismissal of Rinku Singh for 30 runs.
With a 88 run partnership, Dube and Pandya revived India with their fifties and helped the side to score a total of 181 runs in their 20 overs.
hil Salt and Ben Duckett had a solid start for the side as they scored 62 runs for the first wicket stand in the 5th over. The following two overs had one wicket each with Axar Patel dismising Phil Salt while Ravi Bishnoi bagged the wicket of Jos Buttler for 2 runs.
However Harrry Brook troubled Indian bowlers as he smashed 51 runs off 26 deliveries. But with his dismissal by Varun Chakravarthy the side’s defence started to crumble.
Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid scored 19 and 10 runs respectively, but it was not enough to bring victory for the visitors.
Meanwhile Varun Chakravarthy had two wickets while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel bagged a wicket each. Shivam Dube was named as the Player of the match for his impressive fifty.
The final match of the T20I will be played on February 02 at Wankhede Stadium before the start of the three match ODI series against England.
