Hardik Pandya Shines in Return to Cricket in DY Patil T20 Cup 2024

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a dazzling comeback to competitive cricket in the prestigious DY Patil T20 Cup 2024. This marked Pandya’s first appearance since his ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Representing Reliance 1 at the DY Patil Stadium, he displayed a stellar performance.

Pandya’s impactful return saw him contribute significantly with both bat and ball. Opening the bowling, he clinched 2 key wickets, aiding Reliance 1 in limiting BPCL to a score of 126 in 18.3 overs. Despite an initial expensive spell, Pandya’s persistence shone through as he finished with figures of 2 for 22 in his quota of 3 overs.

The bowling effort was well-supported by bowlers like Dev Lakra and Piyush Chawla. In response, Anukul Roy top-scored for BPCL with an unbeaten 30, but it wasn’t enough to deter Reliance 1’s chase.

In the batting department, Pandya came in when 12 runs were needed for victory. While he remained unbeaten on 3 off 4 balls, his steadiness helped secure an emphatic 8-wicket win for Reliance 1 with 5 overs to spare.

Post this successful outing, Pandya will now undergo a final fitness evaluation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before joining the Mumbai Indians for their pre-season camp preparing for the IPL 2024, commencing on March 22.

Additionally, the DY Patil tournament features stalwarts like Suryakumar Yadav, still recovering in Baroda, and other renowned players like Ishan Kishan, not participating due to undisclosed reasons. Moreover, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Shreyas Iyer, is expected to make a comeback post his injury layoff.