Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 14 (ANI): Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya joined an elite company of four T20I stars with 1,000-plus runs, 100-plus sixes and 100-plus wickets in the format after he became the third Indian to complete a century of wickets in the shortest format on Sunday.
Pandya joined the elite company of Arshdeep Singh (109 wickets) and Jasprit Bumrah (101 wickets) to become India’s third bowler to get 100 wickets. He bowled a spell of 1/23 in three overs, taking his wicket tally to 100 wickets in 123 matches at an average of 26.78, with three four-fers and best figures of 4/16 to his name.
Pandya has now joined Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza (2,883 runs, 133 sixes, and 102 wickets in T20Is), Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi (2,417 runs, 122 sixes, and 104 wickets in T20Is), and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh (3,180 runs, 131 sixes and 109 wickets in T20Is) as the fourth Indian to complete the triple of 1,000 or more T20I runs, 100 or more sixes and 100 or more wickets in T20Is.
With the bat, Hardik has unleashed 1,939 runs in 122 matches at an average of 28.10, a strike rate of 141.53, with six fifties and 101 sixes.
Coming to the match, South Africa was put to bat by India, who won the toss. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, with a fiery powerplay spell delivered by Arshdeep Singh (2/13) and Harshit Rana (2/34). Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav also picked two, leaving SA skipper Aiden Markram (61* in 46 balls, with six fours and two sixes) as their lone warrior as the Proteas were bundled out for 117 in 20 overs.
India needs to chase down 118 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. (ANI)
