Hardik Pandya produced a sensational batting display in the fifth T20I against South Africa, registering the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian as he tore through the Proteas bowling attack at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Walking in during the middle overs, Hardik wasted no time in asserting himself. His assault peaked in the 16th over, when he dismantled Corbin Bosch with a series of towering sixes and drilled boundaries. Bosch struggled to execute his yorkers, and Hardik, standing deep in his crease, repeatedly got under the ball to launch it cleanly over deep mid-wicket and straight down the ground.
Hardik reached his half-century in just 16 balls, striking at a rate close to 340, making it the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 internationals. At 16.5 overs, India surged to 195 for 3, with Hardik unbeaten on 54 off 16 balls, including five sixes and four fours.
Tilak Varma provided solid support with a fluent half-century of his own, as the pair accelerated India’s scoring rate sharply in the death overs. Hardik’s innings once again underlined his importance as India’s primary finisher, combining raw power with controlled aggression at a crucial stage of the innings.
