Hardik Pandya, who last played for India on September 26 against Sri Lanka in the Super 4s match of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, made a return to competitive cricket after more than two months on Tuesday (December 2), but he produced a forgettable show with the ball. In Baroda’s fourth Elite Group C match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Punjab, Hardik conceded 52 runs in his quota of four overs and picked up one wicket. The 32-year-old cricketer from Baroda was taken to cleaners by Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma, who made 50 runs from 19 balls, and No. 3 batter Anmolpreet Singh (69 runs from 32 balls). Hardik, however, managed to take revenge by dismissing Anmolpreet in his last over of the match.
Hardik, who missed the first three
matches of SMAT 2025, opened the bowling attack for the Krunal Pandya-led side on Tuesday morning’s match but wasn’t able to deliver as per expectations.
It will be interesting to see how he performs with the bat in the second half of the match when Baroda will have to chase down the target of 223 runs in 120 balls.
The ongoing SMAT matches will help Hardik get some game time before he represents India in the five-match T20I series against South Africa. The BCCI selectors are yet to announce India’s squad for the five 20-over matches against the Proteas, but there are no doubts over Pandya’s selection.
After the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Hardik is India’s most capped player in T20Is and has 98 wickets to his name in 120 T20I matches.
Abhishek on fire
World No. 1 T20I batter Abihshek Sharma is leading Punjab in SMAT 2025. The left-handed batter scored 148 runs from just 52 balls against Bengal in Punjab’s last match on Sunday, November 30, and on Tuesday he impressed once again with his batting. Abhishek opened the innings against Baroda and scored 50 runs from 19 balls. During his stay at the crease, he hammered 5 fours and 4 sixes.
The Amritsar-based cricketer added 53 runs in 4.1 overs for the first wicket with Prabhsimran Singh, who made 16 runs from 13 balls, and 39 runs for the second wicket with Anmolpreet.
Abhishek was sent back to the pavilion by Raj Limbani on the last ball of the seventh over.
