SK Cricket Trivia: 3 unique records of Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya turns 25 years old today, October 11, 2018. The confident, aggressive all-rounder from Baroda has played an important role for India as their bowling all-rounder ever since he has burst into the international scene.

Like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya’s rise to glory was made possible because of his exploits in the Indian Premier League(IPL) playing for the Mumbai Indians(MI) franchise. His game is moulded on fellow IPL team member Kieron Pollard- the way he approaches his batting and bowling and way he carries himself on the field.

Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, the all-rounder has flourished and has become a critical member of India’s plans across all formats of the game. His ability to finish off innings with the bat coupled with his ability to bowl medium fast and get crucial wickets makes him an asset to have in any team.

He is lightning quick on the field and is generally very safe as a catcher. With the right grooming and mentoring, he can go on to achieve consistent and constant success for the Indian team in all forms of the game.

On his 25th birthday, we look at 3 unique records held by Hardik Pandya:

Most number of runs scored in one over by an Indian in Tests

There was criticism from all corners when India decided to pick Hardik Pandya in their Test team when they toured the island nation of Sri Lanka in the year 2017. In conditions that suited spinners not many were sure if his aggressive nature would help India in Test matches or not.

Hardik Pandya silenced those critics who taught he is not fit to play Test matches by getting into the record books en route his maiden Test century. Against a hapless Sri Lankan bowling attack in Pallekelle, Hardik Pandya went on to unleash his aggression.

In the 116th over of the innings, he thumped their spinner Malinda Pushpakumara for a record 26 runs. He surpassed some big names like Sandip Patil and Kapil Dev who held the record for most runs scored in an over by an Indian (24).

He bludgeoned Malinda Pushpakumara to all parts of the ground. The over looked like this 4,4,6,6,6,0. He took the team from 430/9 to 456/9 through a display of some fine hitting. This would be one record that this allrounder would cherish for a long time and it would be interesting to see who the Indian player is who can surpass Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya’s record-breaking maiden Test ton

Hardik Pandya has broken records in a format that suits his style of play the least- Test cricket. But that’s the beauty of this wonderful game.

Hardik Pandya playing in just his third Test match for India against Sri Lanka at Kandy, blazed the opposition bowling attack. Coming in at the number 8 position he registered the fastest century hit by an Indian batting at that position.

The prodigious allrounder needed just 86 balls to score his maiden Test century. His knock was laced with seven sixes and eight fours. It was almost like he was playing an ODI in white clothes on that day.

His first fifty was scored in a more measured manner, coming in 61 balls. But once he scored his maiden Test fifty, he blazed Sri Lanka’s bowlers and made them look quite ordinary.

This record of his will be hard to beat as not too many batsmen in world cricket currently can score runs at a quick pace coming in at the number 8 position. So, until there is a brilliant performance that takes away his record, Hardik Pandya can enjoy the limelight.

Hardik Pandya and his penchant for hat-tricks

Hardik Pandya and hat-tricks go hand in hand. In a relatively short international career of his, the birthday boy has achieved a rather unique record. He has hit a hat-trick of sixes (6,6,6) against four different teams in a span of four months.

This is indeed a very rare and unique feat. But Hardik Pandya has managed to pull it off. He first hit Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes in the India-Pakistan encounter in the Champions Trophy, 2017.

Next up it was the Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab Khan who had to endure getting hit for three sixes in a row in the finals of the Champions Trophy Finals in 2017.

On his way to scoring his maiden Test century, in the very same over where he created history by scoring 26 runs in the over against Malinda Pushpakumara, Hardik Pandya thrashed the Sri Lankan spinner for three consecutive sixes.

And finally, on September 17, 2017, against Australia in the first ODI at the iconic Eden Gardens at Kolkata, Hardik Pandya took the Aussie spinner Adam Zampa to the cleaners. In the 37th over of the game, he managed to hit a hat-trick of sixes for the fourth time in four months.