'Boos in IPL to hero in World Cup': Hardik Pandya turns the tables with his fiery knock

Hardik Pandya proved his worth with an unbeaten 50 off 27 balls, leading India to a formidable 196 for 5 against Bangladesh in a Super 8s game on Saturday. This score marks the highest T20I score at this venue. Pandya’s knock included four boundaries and three sixes, and he formed a crucial 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube, who contributed 34 off 24 balls. 

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Hardik Pandya becomes a hero after fiery World Cup knock

Hardik Pandya, who was appointed captain of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season, faced immense criticism from fans due to the team’s poor performance. Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the points table, and Pandya struggled with both bat and ball, further angering the fans. He was met with boos from Mumbai Indians fans at every match during the IPL 2024. However, the same fans now cheer him on as he performs brilliantly for India in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Other notable performances came from Rishabh Pant (36 off 24 balls) and Virat Kohli (37 off 28 balls). Seamer Tanzim Hasan Sakib was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking 2 wickets for 32 runs.

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IND vs BAN, T20 World Cup 2024

Bangladesh opted to bowl after winning the toss against India in a crucial Super 8s encounter in the T20 World Cup here on Saturday. India's playing eleven remained unchanged while Bangladesh dropped pacer Taskin Ahmed from the eleven.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.

(With PTI inputs)