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A young Hardik Pandya put on a show with the bat for India against Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval in London. The all-rounder smashed 76 runs off 43 balls at a stunning strike rate of 176.74, including six maximums and four boundaries.
The fighting effort came in after the Men in Blue were reeling at 54/5 in a 339-run chase. The right-handed batter, however, lost his wicket in an unfortunate manner, getting run out against the run of play.
Hardik’s efforts went in vain but he became a household name overnight. With the knock, he also announced himself as the finisher that he is today. The performance earned him praise from several quarters, including Bollywood actresses.
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Sushmita Sen, a noted Bollywood actress who won the 1994 Miss Universe title, was bowled over by Hardik’s heroics with the bat. She wrote on X:
“Now that's how we play the game when all chips look down!!!!! how sexy to see 6-6-6, I love u Pandya!!”
In another post, she wrote:
“Love the energy of all the young players on both sides!!!! exude such #fire way to go!!!! What a 6 Pandya.”
Since the 2017 Champions Trophy, Hardik Pandya has established himself as a key player in India’s white-ball setup. The 31-year-old played a vital role as the Men in Blue beat South Africa in the final to lift the 2024 T20 World Cup.
He will look to continue his exploits with both bat and ball in the Champions Trophy 2025. India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday, February 20 before facing arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage clash at the same venue on February 23.
How Hardik Pandya performed in the 2017 Champions Trophy
Hardik Pandya returned with a decent performance with the bat and ball, scoring 105 runs and picking up four wickets in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
His stats have only improved in the last few years. The Gujarat all-rounder has 1805 runs and 87 wickets in 89 ODIs. With the bat, the right-hander has 11 half-centuries in the format.
