India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was absolutely pumped up after dismissing Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai in the 9th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Wednesday, October 11, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in the match. The top three batters of the side – Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Rahmat Shah – got starts but they were unable to convert them into big scores and Afghanistan lost three wickets with just 63 runs on the board.
After that, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi was joined by all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai in the middle and together they played confidently against the Indian bowlers. They played brilliant cricket and frustrated Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who tried all the bowling options he had but was unable to get the breakthrough.
That finally changed in the 35th over when Hardik Pandya came to bowl. He cleaned up Omarzai to break the 121-run partnership between the Afghan duo. Pandya had been taken to the cleaners in his last over and on the first ball of the 35th over, he was smashed for a four.
WATCH – Shardul Thakur Grabs A Sensational Juggling Catch To Dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz
However, the all-rounder took his revenge on the very next ball as he bowled a slower ball that beat the outside edge of Omarzai and hit the top of the off-stump. After picking up the wicket, Pandya was absolutely pumped and he let out a big shout in frustration to celebrate the wicket aggressively.
Here is the video of the dismissal:
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Speaking ahead of the match, Hardik Pandya talked about India’s victory over Australia in their World Cup opener. He said: “We bowled well (against Australia), kept them under pressure while bowling and we used the conditions to our advantage. We were under pressure when we lost three wickets, but credit to Virat and KL for the way they absorbed all that pressure.”
WATCH – Virat Kohli Entertains Crowd With His Dance Moves During India vs Afghanistan match
Hardik Pandya also spoke about the blow he suffered on his hand while trying to stop a shot by David Warner off his bowling. He said:
“I wasn’t able to bowl much (due to his injury), but I am fine. It’s just a blood clot, a little bruise. There’s a lot of excitement around us, fans are supporting us and it’s a special feeling to be playing in home conditions. Looking forward to this challenge.”
