IND vs SL 2021: Hardik Pandya sends a message to Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan after 1st ODI

Hardik Pandya has heaped praise on Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav after the two impressed on their ODI debut against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Playing his first ODI on his birthday, Ishan Kishan hit a 42-ball 59. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav remained unbeaten on 31 runs off 20 deliveries as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Colombo.

Reacting to the performance of his Mumbai Indians teammates, Hardik Pandya wrote on his official Facebook page:

"What a start to your ODI career Ishu baby. That’s one way to celebrate your birthday Ishan Kishan. Special mention to Surya - class as usual."

Although Sri Lanka posted a decent total of 262 runs on the board in the first innings, India did not come under pressure. The Shikhar Dhawan-led outfit dominated the Sri Lankan bowlers from the first over and chased the 263-run target in just 36.4 overs.

Prithvi Shaw won the Man of the Match award for his 24-ball 43, while skipper Shikhar Dhawan registered a half-century on his captaincy debut. The match was over before Hardik Pandya could come out to bat.

Hardik Pandya bowled five overs in the Sri Lankan innings during the 1st ODI in Colombo

Hardik Pandya returned with figures of 1/34 at the R Premadasa Stadium yesterday

Hardik Pandya has gradually resumed bowling for the Indian cricket team after his back surgery. The all-rounder did not bowl a single delivery for the Mumbai Indians in the first phase of IPL 2021. But in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, Pandya was the first-change bowler.

The medium pacer bowled five overs in the Sri Lankan innings, conceding 34 runs at an economy rate of 6.8. Hardik picked up the wicket of Isuru Udana in the innings' 47th over. He will aim to improve his bowling performance in the upcoming matches.

Love it @hardikpandya7 😍 https://t.co/A53Hy8JcK6

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) July 18, 2021