In a bizarre turn of events, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya found himself in the spotlight during the West Indies vs. Papua New Guinea T20 World Cup match on June 2nd. While West Indies secured a convincing five-wicket victory, viewers were left scratching their heads when Pandya’s picture appeared in the post-match summary section.
The image, intended to showcase top performers, inexplicably included Pandya alongside actual match stars like Andre Russell and Brandon King. This was a technical glitch by the broadcasters, as Pandya wasn’t even remotely involved in the game. The error even replaced two PNG players, Sesa Bua and Asad Wala, with Pandya’s image.
The incident comes amidst a challenging time for the Indian vice-captain. Hardik Pandya’s recent form in the IPL 2024 has been underwhelming. He managed a mere 11 wickets at a high economy rate and scored only 216 runs with a poor average.
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However, a valiant 40* off 23 balls in India’s warm-up match against Bangladesh hinted at a potential return to form.
Speaking about his struggles, Hardik Pandya displayed resilience. “You have to stay in the fight,” he declared. “Life throws challenges, but giving up won’t get you results. It’s been tough, but I’m focused on the process and following my routines.”
This is why Hardik Pandya is injured so often.
When he does not play for India, he plays for both West Indies and Papua New Guinea, that too several times.
BCCI should manage his workload better. pic.twitter.com/1W9ESacSbV
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) June 3, 2024
While Pandya’s surprise appearance in the West Indies match summary may have been a technical error, it serves as a reminder of his talent and the anticipation surrounding his return to peak form for India in the T20 World Cup.
Talking about the game, PNG set a modest target of 137 runs thanks to Sese Bau’s fifty and contributions from Vala and Doriga. Russell and Joseph led the Windies bowling attack. Chasing proved a struggle for the hosts despite early boundaries from King and Pooran.
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PNG’s spinners kept the pressure on, with Soper, Kariko, and Vala (except for a costly 18th over) taking wickets. Roston Chase anchored the chase, finding support from a late-innings cameo by Andre Russell to seal a narrow victory. PNG’s bowlers impressed but sloppy fielding and a lack of control in the death overs ultimately cost them.
