Even before India walked out to face Zimbabwe, there was another match quietly grabbing their attention.
All eyes in the Indian camp were also tracking South Africa’s Super 8 clash against West Indies in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. And as Hardik Pandya later admitted, the team was following that game closely before shifting full focus to their own job at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
South Africa crushed West Indies by nine wickets and with India’s 72-run win later that evening, the Proteas officially sealed their place in the semi-finals.
After the match, Hardik Pandya openly shared that the players were aware of what was happening elsewhere. He said everyone was keeping track of the South Africa-West Indies contest. However, once that match ended, the Indian team made a conscious effort to block out the noise and concentrate only on their own performance. According to him, the key was to play quality cricket, trust their skills, handle pressure smartly and give their best in the moment.
And India certainly did that.
Batting first, India piled up 256/4, the highest total of this edition of the tournament. The charge was led by Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma, who both struck blazing half-centuries.
Abhishek set the tone with a rapid 30-ball 55. He added 48 runs for the opening wicket with Sanju Samson who made 24 after Zimbabwe chose to bowl first. Ishan Kishan chipped in with 38, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav added a brisk 33 to keep the momentum going.
Then came Hardik Pandya’s late assault. He smashed an unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls. Tilak Varma joined the party with a stunning 44 not out from only 14 deliveries. Together, Hardik and Tilak stitched an unbroken 84-run partnership off just 31 balls, completely overwhelming Zimbabwe at the death.
Reflecting on his innings, Hardik Pandya said he was pleased but also admitted he had to adjust during his knock. He felt he was initially trying to hit too hard but realised that timing the ball cleanly would be more effective. For him, it was satisfying to regain rhythm after a few games where things hadn’t gone as planned.
Zimbabwe fought back through Brian Bennett who remained unbeaten on 97 but the chase was always steep. They finished at 184 for six in 20 overs.
Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball, taking three wickets for 24 runs. Although Hardik Pandya didn’t claim a wicket, he was content with conceding just 21 runs in his three overs. He said he enjoys bowling with the new ball because it swings both ways, allowing him to challenge batters and create wicket-taking opportunities.
In typical Hardik Pandya fashion, he ended his interaction by mentioning he still had one over left to bowl, before jogging off to complete it.
