'There is no batter like that' - Former India opener in awe of Hardik Pandya after whirlwind half-century in Cuttack T20I

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has lauded Hardik Pandya's overall effectiveness after the all-rounder's performance in the first T20I of the ongoing series against South Africa. Coming back to the Indian setup

after a quadriceps injury he picked in Asia Cup, Hardik stood out with a Player of the Match performance on December 9.

Chopra pointed out that Hardik looked much more comfortable with the bat than his teammates. The renowned commentator also praised Hardik's hard-hitting capabilities with the bat.

"You suddenly realize how important this guy is in this team. Hardik actually does what very few players in our country can. If we talk about this match, everyone was struggling. However, he came and hit Keshav Maharaj for two sixes. Anrich Nortje was thrashed. You suddenly feel that this guy is at a different level. His quality of hitting is second to none," shared Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel.

Chopra deemed Hardik to be an indispensable component of India's batting unit and also went as far as saying that only Hardik can replicate the impact provided on the team by his own performances.

"Of course, he bowls with the new ball as well. However, you can still get that job done by Arshdeep (Singh) and (Jasprit) Bumrah, but you cannot get anyone else to bat at this number. There is no batter like that. It's not a slight on anyone else. Shivam Dube hits good shots, Jitesh Sharma can also do that job, and there might be a few more, but when Hardik bats, only he bats," he added.

Hardik blasted his way to an unbeaten 59-run knock which came off just 28 balls, as India ended up posting 175/6 after losing the toss earlier in the evening. His power-packed innings comprised six fours and four sixes.

His sixth T20I fifty came in a winning cause as the Men in Blue ended up winning the contest by a commanding 101-run margin. The hosts will hope that Hardik will continue the momentum in the remainder of the series.