During the first T20I match of the five-match series against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on August 3, emotions ran high for India’s National Cricket Team captain, Hardik Pandya. Leading the team in the historic 200th T20I match, Pandya was visibly moved during the singing of the Indian national anthem.
India played its first T20I back in 2006 under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag. Over the years, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and now Hardik Pandya have led the team in milestone matches. With this match, India joined arch-rivals Pakistan as the only two teams in history to reach the 200-match mark in T20I cricket.
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As the match got underway, West Indies won the toss and chose to bat first. India introduced seamer Mukesh Kumar and batter Tilak Varma, both earning their debut caps.
Hardik “ pAsSiOnAtE “ Pandya pic.twitter.com/hh3HZRDr66
— shank (@shanktweetss) August 3, 2023
Speaking at the toss, Hardik Pandya emphasized that India’s plan for the tour to West Indies was to experiment with different combinations. He acknowledged that wins and losses are an integral part of the game and that the focus is on continuous improvement and learning from the process.
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Hardik Pandya said, “That was the whole plan for this tour as well. We might be coming here to play the World Cup. Some players might get a chance to play here. By the time we come here next time, we’ll be prepared. I try to keep things simple. For me, it’s about improving. I focus on processes. You might have some losses and failures, I am okay with it. It’s all about challenging ourselves. Umran, Bishnoi miss out. We are playing three spinners.”
Hardik Pandya’s emotional moment during the national anthem touched the hearts of many fans, and the clip of him being teary-eyed went viral on social media. As the match unfolded, both teams showcased their cricketing prowess in what promised to be an exciting series between two cricketing powerhouses.
