Hardik Pandya’s match-winning innings for Team India against Pakistan on Sunday didn’t come as much of a surprise to Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. The leg-spinner feels that it is the result of the hard work that Pandya put in during the course of the match.
To complete the task of chasing down 148 runs in 19.4 overs, the all-rounder for Baroda recorded figures of 3/25 in his four overs and hit a quickfire 33* off of only 17 balls. Hardik was awarded the title of Player of the Match due to the all-around performance he turned in on Sunday.
The comeback is greater than the setback 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/KlnD4GZ4ZO
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 29, 2022
Both Rashid and Hardik have been active members of the leadership group for the IPL 2022 winners, the Gujarat Titans (GT). Therefore, he was able to learn a great deal more about the GT captain and how he believed in his ability to lead his team to victory.
What did Rashid Khan say about Hardik Pandya?
In an interview with the media on Monday (August 29), Rashid spoke about how Hardik Pandya’s batting in the top-order for GT helped Team India get the most out of him. He said:
“In the Indian Premier League, Hardik has kept his cool under pressure and has led his side to victory on several occasions. Yesterday, he did just this, and it worked out perfectly for him since he was able to control the game right up to the conclusion and then finish it off. His absence has been keenly felt by India in the most recent matches. The intensive labour that he put in during the IPL has been of great assistance to him, and the fruit of his labour can be seen by everyone.”
We fought. We fought real hard! And we’ll keep fighting 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/7esrZxg74l
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 28, 2022
Rashid Khan offered an amazing example of both Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja when he was questioned about the significance of all-rounders. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja were the two significant contributors with the bat during India’s victory on Sunday.
