Hardik Pandya produced a moment of pure athletic brilliance in Visakhapatnam, lighting up the fourth T20I with a stunning run-out of New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. The incident came in the 17th over when Jasprit Bumrah bowled a tight length delivery that Santner tried to nudge towards short third man for a quick single.
Pandya reacted in a flash, charged in, collected the ball cleanly, and hit the stumps direct to send the Kiwi skipper back — a piece of fielding that shifted momentum and brought the crowd to its feet. New Zealand had pinned their hopes on Santner to provide a late flourish, especially after he showed intent early.
However, the India all-rounder’s sharp effort cut that innings short. Batting at number seven, Santner managed 11 runs off just six balls, striking at an impressive 183.33, with one four and one six before his dismissal.
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Earlier, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, New Zealand posted a competitive 215/7 in their 20 overs. Tim Seifert led the charge with a fluent 62 off 36 balls, striking at 172.22 and anchoring the innings. Daryl Mitchell added valuable late runs with an unbeaten 39 off 18 deliveries, ensuring the visitors crossed the 200-run mark.
Bullseye 🎯
Hardik Pandya with a superb direct hit 🔥
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India’s bowlers shared the workload effectively despite the high total. Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets apiece, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi claimed one each. Santner’s run-out, orchestrated by Hardik Pandya, stood out as the defining moment in an otherwise hard-fought contest.
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New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
