Hardik Pandya smashes back-to-back towering sixes off Adam Zampa under pressure in IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal [Watch]

Hardik Pandya stepped up again when India needed him the most in the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4. The right-handed batter whacked Australia’s premium leg spinner Adam Zampa for two consecutive sixes in the 48th over. He helped reduce India’s equation from 24 off 20 balls to 12 needed from 18 deliveries.

The Baroda batter initially found it tough to connect but whenever he hit, he cleared the fielder on multiple occasions to send it over the sight screen. The maximums even as the Aussies kept three fielders, including long-on and long-off behind the bowler.

Pandya first thumped a six over long-off for a towering six, making the most of the fuller-length ball. Zampa stuck with the length only to be punished for another hit straight down the ground. This time it was even longer, a monstrous 101m six.

Watch Hardik Pandya's towering sixes below:

Hardik Pandya scored 28 runs off 24 balls with the help of three maximums and one boundary. He eventually holed out to Glenn Maxwell at long-on but India needed just six runs off seven balls after his dismissal. The lower-order middle batter had also scored an impressive run-a-ball 45 against New Zealand in the last Group A clash.

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Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul play vital knocks after Virat Kohli’s 84 as India beat Australia by 4 wickets in 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal

Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul played vital knocks after Virat Kohli scored 84 off 98 deliveries in India’s 265-run chase against Australia in the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal.

Rahul scored an unbeaten 42 runs off 34 balls, comprising two sixes and as many boundaries. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed a six off Glenn Maxwell in the final over to take the Men in Blue past the finish line. Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa produced a fighting effort with the ball for Australia, returning with two wickets apiece.

Batting first, Australia were bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs. Skipper Steve Smith and Alex Carey chipped in with half-centuries apiece. Mohammad Shami starred with the ball for India, picking up three wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja also scalped two wickets apiece.

The second semifinal will be played between South Africa and New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5.

Click here to check out the full IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal scorecard.