Explorer

Pandya gives a tutorial to Khaleel on how to take a skier

Khaleel dropped a sitter off Pandya's bowling but Pandya made up for Khaleel's lapse by holding onto a skier off Kuldeep's bowling in the next over.

Hardik Pandya has been in tremendous form ever since making a comeback into the Indian side after the infamous Koffee With Karan episode resulted in his suspension, forcing him to miss the Australia ODI series. Since then, he has come back an improved cricket. He made a mark in all three departments of the game in the latter part of the ODI series against New Zealand and also in the first two T20Is. On Sunday, a lot was expected from the all-rounder in the series-deciding third T20I but it was not Pandya’s day, at least in the first half of the match. And astonishingly, he was not at fault.

Two catches were dropped off Pandya’s bowling and a boundary slipped through – all in the same over. In the eventful 13th over of the New Zealand innings, Khaleel Ahmed dropped a sitter standing at square-leg off Pandya’s bowling. It was the important wicket of Colin Munro who was hitting the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground. To rub salt into Pandya’s wounds, Munro hit him for a six and a four in the next two balls, the boundary coming because of a misfield by Vijay Shankar. Pandya then replied with a bouncer in the fifth ball, the ball lobbed up in the air but just flew over the short third man fielder’s head for another boundary. The umpire signalled leg byes but Pandya was visibly frustrated with the standard of fielding.

In the next over, Pandya got his revenge. Not as a bowler but as a fielder, giving a perfect demo to Khaleel on how to catch a skier. Munro tried to muscle Kuldeep Yadav for a six, did not get a hold of it and Pandya at long on took a simple catch. The jubilation on his face after holding onto the catch said it all.

Munro was out but not before scoring a playing super 72-run innings off 30 balls.  

Top Headlines

Several Killed After Explosion At Switzerland's Luxury Ski Resort Crans-Montana
Several Killed After Explosion At Switzerland's Luxury Ski Resort Crans-Montana
Zohran Mamdani Takes Oath As New York City Mayor On Quran, Makes History As First Muslim Leader :WATCH
Zohran Mamdani Takes Oath As New York City Mayor On Quran, Makes History As First Muslim Leader
Pakistan Issues Veiled Threat To India On New Year; Army Chief Warns Of ‘Decisive Response’
Pakistan Issues Veiled Threat To India On New Year; Army Chief Warns Of ‘Decisive Response’
No Bangladeshi Cricketers In IPL 2026? BCCI Clarifies Its Stand
No Bangladeshi Cricketers In IPL 2026? BCCI Clarifies Its Stand

Videos

Breaking: Row Over SRK Buying Bangladeshi Player Amid Hindu Rights Anger
New Year 2026: India Welcomes New Year 2026 with Celebrations, Sunrise Rituals and Devotion
Bengal Assembly: Amit Shah Gives BJP Leaders Winning Mantra for Bengal 2026 Elections
Breaking News: Big Alert in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani Drone Spotted in Poonch, Search Operation Launched
Breaking: MP Govt Acts After Contaminated Water Deaths, Situation to Normalize Soon

Photo Gallery

25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Embed widget