Former India player turned veteran commetator Aakash Chopra has praised Hardik Pandya for scoring a stunning fifty in the fifth T20I against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He also stated that Pandya was trolled and booed at the same venue after he left the franchise and returned to the Mumbai Indians (MI) as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Let’s talk about Hardik Pandya because there is no one like him. No matter what someone says, that it is this or that, or the pitch was different, or something else, that’s not the case. He hit in Barabati (Cuttack) when everybody was struggling. When he starts batting, he eclipses everyone else. He is like a solar eclipse. He covers everything, and then no one is seen. What Hardik did in Ahmedabad, he got trolled and booed a lot at this ground, but whoever trolled him, he went out as their role model in the end.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also stated that India won’t be able to finish games without Hardik Pandya as well.

“He has one method of playing, but he gets a lot of success with that method. Although we say we have Jitesh (Sharma) and Shivam Dube, we have finishers, and we will do the job, but can we actually do the job without Hardik? I don’t think so. I will be very, very honest. The straight six he hit off the back foot against a spinner, it’s a rare quality. Tell me one batter in India who bats like this. I would say put your fingers in your ears. Don’t listen to anyone saying anything about Hardik. He is absolutely stellar. The job won’t be done without him,” Aakash Chopra concluded.