India’s stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya explained the reason behind his decision of giving the responsibility of defending 17 runs in the final over against Ireland on Tuesday, June 28 at The Village in Dublin to the fiery pacer, Umran Malik. With India needing to defend 17 runs off the last over, Malik managed to hold his nerve and helped his team secure a four-run win and a 2-0 series triumph.

Hardik Pandya reckoned it’s tough for batters to face express pace and hence, he decided to go with Umran. Pandya also lauded the bowlers for making sure that Ireland didn’t get past the finishing line.

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Hardik Pandya explained, “(Final over) Not worried to be honest. Wanted to keep pressure out of my equation. I backed Umran since he has pace. With his pace, it’s difficult for people to hit. I think we’ve come to play a game of cricket, so Ireland was going to show us what they have. Credit to them, they played amazing shots. At the same point of time, credit to our bowlers to cross the line.”

India’s stand-in captain also had words of praise for Deepak Hooda, who scored his maiden international ton in just 55 balls. It was Hooda’s knock that helped India post a significant score of 225 on the board. Hooda also went on to win the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings. 

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Talking about Hooda, Hardik Pandya said, “The crowd was amazing. Their favorite boys were Dinesh and Sanju, great to see them enjoy them. Good for us to experience cricket in this part of the world too. Grateful to the fans. Proud. As a child, it is everyone’s dream to play the country. At the same point of time, leading and getting first victory and now first series win is special. Also happy for Hooda as well, the way he batted. And Umran.”