<p>Aakash Chopra has picked his favoured 17-member Indian squad for the Sri Lanka visit and has named Shikhar Dhawan as the skipper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Team India will set out on a six-match visit through Sri Lanka in July. With the vast majority of the standard team is set to be away in England at that point, the squad will include white-ball subject matter experts and youngsters who will be attempting to establish a connection with the international stage.</p>

<p>On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw as the openers in his squad while likewise naming the previous as the captain.</p>

<p>"Shikhar Dhawan the captain because we have seen in the last two years that he is upgrading his software and batting with great responsibility. Along with him, I am picking Prithvi Shaw. The form we have seen from him, I feel he should be the front-runner in this race," – he said.</p>

<p>"After that Shreyas Iyer if he is available. There is a talk of him playing county cricket but it would be better if you keep him for the six encounters here. Then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, although Mumbai Indians dropped him halfway through," added Aakash Chopra.<br />
Aakash Chopra picked Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya to bat in the lower order and named Hardik as the vice-captain of his picked group.</p>

<p>"Hardik Pandya will be my vice-captain. And then Krunal Pandya. He played the last ODI series against England and performed well also," stated Chopra.<br />
Aakash Chopra picked Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as three of the frontline bowlers in his XI.</p>

<p>"After that Yuzi Chahal. Deepak Chahar whose performances have been outstanding with the white-ball. He should be given a chance in ODIs as well. If Bhuvi and he bowl together, our powerplay problem of not taking wickets can also be sorted out," said Chopra.</p>

<p>"After that Navdeep Saini, he has also been kept in cold storage. Neither India is playing him nor RCB. But I will keep him in my team because he was part of the team when India went to Australia and played a Test match also," - he said.</p>

<p>Aakash Chopra named Ruturaj Gaikwad/Devdutt Padikkal, Khaleel Ahmed or Jaydev Unadkat, and Kuldeep Yadav as stores for Shreyas Iyer, T Natarajan, and Varun Chakravarthy separately, if any of them is inaccessible.</p>

<p>"There is a question mark about T Natarajan's injury. But if he is fit, he will go off course. Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy are the two extra spinners I have kept. I have also given place to Prasidh Krishna in my team," - he added.</p>

<p>"Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda, I will keep both these players. Sanju Samson has been playing good cricket, scored a century this year as well. Deepak Hooda has shown that he can be an explosive batsman at No.6 or No.7 and he can bowl a bit of off-spin," Aakash Chopra concluded.</p>

<p><strong>Aakash Chopra's Indian squad for the Sri Lanka tour: </strong>Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya (vc), Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Navdeep Saini, T Natarajan, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Prasidh Krishna.</p>


Aakash Chopra has picked his favoured 17-member Indian squad for the Sri Lanka visit and has named Shikhar Dhawan as the skipper. Team India will set out on a six-match visit through Sri Lanka in July.

Aakash Chopra has picked his favoured 17-member Indian squad for the Sri Lanka visit and has named Shikhar Dhawan as the skipper. Team India will set out on a six-match visit through Sri Lanka in July. With the vast majority of the standard team is set to be away in England at that point, the squad will include white-ball subject matter experts and youngsters who will be attempting to establish a connection with the international stage. On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw as the openers in his squad while likewise naming the previous as the captain. "Shikhar Dhawan the captain because we have seen in the last two years that he is upgrading his software and batting with great responsibility. Along with him, I am picking Prithvi Shaw. The form we have seen from him, I feel he should be the front-runner in this race," – he said. "After that Shreyas Iyer if he is available. There is a talk of him playing county cricket but it would be better if you keep him for the six encounters here. Then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, although Mumbai Indians dropped him halfway through," added Aakash Chopra. Aakash Chopra picked Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya to bat in the lower order and named Hardik as the vice-captain of his picked group. "Hardik Pandya will be my vice-captain. And then Krunal Pandya. He played the last ODI series against England and performed well also," stated Chopra. Aakash Chopra picked Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as three of the frontline bowlers in his XI. "After that Yuzi Chahal. Deepak Chahar whose performances have been outstanding with the white-ball. He should be given a chance in ODIs as well. If Bhuvi and he bowl together, our powerplay problem of not taking wickets can also be sorted out," said Chopra. "After that Navdeep Saini, he has also been kept in cold storage. Neither India is playing him nor RCB. But I will keep him in my team because he was part of the team when India went to Australia and played a Test match also," - he said. Aakash Chopra named Ruturaj Gaikwad/Devdutt Padikkal, Khaleel Ahmed or Jaydev Unadkat, and Kuldeep Yadav as stores for Shreyas Iyer, T Natarajan, and Varun Chakravarthy separately, if any of them is inaccessible. "There is a question mark about T Natarajan's injury. But if he is fit, he will go off course. Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy are the two extra spinners I have kept. I have also given place to Prasidh Krishna in my team," - he added. "Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda, I will keep both these players. Sanju Samson has been playing good cricket, scored a century this year as well. Deepak Hooda has shown that he can be an explosive batsman at No.6 or No.7 and he can bowl a bit of off-spin," Aakash Chopra concluded. Aakash Chopra's Indian squad for the Sri Lanka tour: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya (vc), Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Navdeep Saini, T Natarajan, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Prasidh Krishna.

Aakash Chopra has picked his favored 17-member squad for Sri Lanka, names Shikhar Dhawan as skipper

<p class="MsoNormal">Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are being touted as the captaincy options for Team India if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka in July.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">India’s limited-overs specialists will head to the island nation to play three T20Is and as many ODIs against Sri Lanka in the second half of July. Interestingly, the big guns like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah among others will be in England for a five-match Test series. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"It is still not clear if Shreyas will recover fully and will be match-fit in time for tour of Sri Lanka. Normally, a surgery of this scale along with rest, extensive rehab and training to get back in shape takes around four months," a senior BCCI source privy to selection matters told PTI on conditions of anonymity.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"In case Shreyas was available, he would have been the automatic choice for captaincy."</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-hugged-and-consoled-me-when-i-was-crying-at-my-hotel-room-in-australia-mohammed-siraj-384298" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli hugged and consoled me when I was crying at my hotel room in Australia: Mohammed Siraj</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While Dhawan has been in-form for Delhi Capitals in last two IPLs, Hardik Pandya has come as one of the most important parts of the Indian team in the shortest format. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Shikhar has had two very good IPL including this curtailed one and being the senior most among those who are available for selection, he is a very strong contender. Also he has been a solid performer for India for past eight years," an official said. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, Hardik hasn't been regularly bowling for MI or India in recent times. However, he is the man with x-factor and among options available. He is miles ahead of his peers in terms of being an impact performer. And who knows, maybe extra responsibility brings the best out of him."</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bamboo-bats-could-be-an-innovative-weapon-but-mcc-rejects-it-says-it-will-be-illegal-384262" hreflang="en">Bamboo bats could be an innovative weapon, but MCC rejects it, says it will be illegal</a></strong><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Hardik was in the squad for the four-Test series against England to monitor his bowling workload but a flared up shoulder and back issues mean he is unlikely to bowl more than a couple of overs in white-ball cricket. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hardik, after his back surgery to cure stress fracture, is not the same bowler anymore. He was a fast-medium bowler before injury but to bowl at a brisk 135 kmph plus pace consistently, it could impact his back.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"So he is focussing more on his match finishing skills," a person in the know of things told PTI.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></o:p></p>


Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are being touted as the captaincy options for Team India if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka in July.

Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are being touted as the captaincy options for Team India if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka in July. India’s limited-overs specialists will head to the island nation to play three T20Is and as many ODIs against Sri Lanka in the second half of July. Interestingly, the big guns like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah among others will be in England for a five-match Test series. "It is still not clear if Shreyas will recover fully and will be match-fit in time for tour of Sri Lanka. Normally, a surgery of this scale along with rest, extensive rehab and training to get back in shape takes around four months," a senior BCCI source privy to selection matters told PTI on conditions of anonymity. "In case Shreyas was available, he would have been the automatic choice for captaincy." ALSO READ: Virat Kohli hugged and consoled me when I was crying at my hotel room in Australia: Mohammed Siraj While Dhawan has been in-form for Delhi Capitals in last two IPLs, Hardik Pandya has come as one of the most important parts of the Indian team in the shortest format. "Shikhar has had two very good IPL including this curtailed one and being the senior most among those who are available for selection, he is a very strong contender. Also he has been a solid performer for India for past eight years," an official said. "Yes, Hardik hasn't been regularly bowling for MI or India in recent times. However, he is the man with x-factor and among options available. He is miles ahead of his peers in terms of being an impact performer. And who knows, maybe extra responsibility brings the best out of him." ALSO READ: Bamboo bats could be an innovative weapon, but MCC rejects it, says it will be illegal Hardik was in the squad for the four-Test series against England to monitor his bowling workload but a flared up shoulder and back issues mean he is unlikely to bowl more than a couple of overs in white-ball cricket. "Hardik, after his back surgery to cure stress fracture, is not the same bowler anymore. He was a fast-medium bowler before injury but to bowl at a brisk 135 kmph plus pace consistently, it could impact his back. "So he is focussing more on his match finishing skills," a person in the know of things told PTI. (With inputs from agencies)

SL vs IND: Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan locked in two-way battle for India captaincy

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt">Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav has said that the establishment is certain of Hardik and Krunal Pandya getting back to shape soon.</p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt">The Pandya brothers have neglected to convey with the bat for Mumbai Indians this season. On Friday against Punjab Kings also, both Hardik and Krunal Pandya succumbed to single-figure scores. Their disappointments have harmed Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021.</p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt">In the post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav said that the Mumbai Indians management isn't too stressed over the batting type of Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, seeing in such manner:</p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-i-just-dont-think-that-hes-worth-that-kind-of-money-kevin-pietersen-on-chris-morris-379871" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: 'I just don't think that he's worth that kind of money' - Kevin Pietersen on Chris Morris</a></strong></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt">“Not really. Pandya brothers&nbsp;have been doing really well; they have been working really hard in the nets every day and in every&nbsp;practice session. I feel it’s just a matter of one game. Everyone is trying to take that responsibility in every game. It is just that it is not working. It happens in the sport. I am sure they will come back really strongly.”</p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/playing-well-against-rashid-khan-is-going-to-be-key-for-dc-vs-srh-says-mohammad-kaif-379867" hreflang="en">Playing well against Rashid Khan is going to be key for DC vs SRH, says Mohammad Kaif</a></strong></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt">Mumbai Indians lost their second successive match in IPL 2021 on Friday. Subsequent to going down to Delhi Capitals by six wickets on Tuesday, the reigning champions were given a nine-wicket whipping by Punjab Kings in Chennai.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav has said that the establishment is certain of Hardik and Krunal Pandya getting back to shape soon. The Pandya brothers have neglected to convey with the bat for Mumbai Indians this season.

Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav has said that the establishment is certain of Hardik and Krunal Pandya getting back to shape soon. The Pandya brothers have neglected to convey with the bat for Mumbai Indians this season. On Friday against Punjab Kings also, both Hardik and Krunal Pandya succumbed to single-figure scores. Their disappointments have harmed Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021. In the post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav said that the Mumbai Indians management isn't too stressed over the batting type of Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, seeing in such manner: ALSO READ: IPL 2021: 'I just don't think that he's worth that kind of money' - Kevin Pietersen on Chris Morris “Not really. Pandya brothers have been doing really well; they have been working really hard in the nets every day and in every practice session. I feel it’s just a matter of one game. Everyone is trying to take that responsibility in every game. It is just that it is not working. It happens in the sport. I am sure they will come back really strongly.” ALSO READ: Playing well against Rashid Khan is going to be key for DC vs SRH, says Mohammad Kaif Mumbai Indians lost their second successive match in IPL 2021 on Friday. Subsequent to going down to Delhi Capitals by six wickets on Tuesday, the reigning champions were given a nine-wicket whipping by Punjab Kings in Chennai.

IPL 2021: 'Confident that Pandya brothers will come back strongly' - Suryakumar Yadav

<p class="MsoNormal">All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been contributing to the Mumbai Indians with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 but has not bowled in the last three matches owing to a shoulder niggle. Hardik had picked up the niggle during final ODI against England. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene opened up about Hardik’s shoulder issue and when can fans expect the all-rounder to be in action with the ball.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"...we were looking forward to him to be bowling this season... he was coming back from an injury already, but after those matches against England, the last ODI, I believe he picked up niggle, so that is something that we are nursing at the moment," Jayawardene said during a virtual press conference.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The former Sri Lanka batsman further hoped that Hardik will be able to get back to full fitness and return to bowling in the coming weeks while adding Mumbai Indians don’t want to risk him by rushing things.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/my-first-six-balls-could-have-cost-us-in-another-match-says-csks-ms-dhoni-after-slow-knock-vs-rr-378820" hreflang="en">My first six balls could have cost us in another match, says CSK's MS Dhoni after slow knock vs RR</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"We don't want to risk it, because it is important that we make sure that he (Hardik) is in a position to comfortably come in and bowl. So hopefully in the next few weeks, with a bit of work and all that, we might see him bowling," he said.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"It is not that we are deliberately trying to not bowl him, we would love to have him bowling, but as soon as the niggle is off and he is comfortable, we should be able to use that asset as well."<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The 27-year-old has been actively contributing in the field despite being out of action with the ball. He completed two direct hits in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to dismiss David Warner and Abdul Samad. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"We have always used Hardik on the boundary line because of his speed and he has a good throwing arm and his catching ability," Jayawardene said.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dc-vs-mi-ipl-2021-head-to-head-stats-ma-chidambaram-stadium-pitch-report-chennai-weather-forecast-all-you-need-to-know-378807" hreflang="en">DC vs MI, IPL 2021: Head-to-head stats, MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch report, Chennai weather forecast - All you need to know</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Last few games, because he has a niggle in the shoulder, we kept (him) in 30 yards and he has proved the value of that by picking up a few runs-outs, because he is agile."<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in Chennai.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ab-de-villiers-glenn-maxwell-took-the-game-away-kkrs-brendon-mccullum-378656/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been contributing to the Mumbai Indians with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 but has not bowled in the last three matches owing to a shoulder niggle.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been contributing to the Mumbai Indians with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 but has not bowled in the last three matches owing to a shoulder niggle. Hardik had picked up the niggle during final ODI against England. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene opened up about Hardik’s shoulder issue and when can fans expect the all-rounder to be in action with the ball. "...we were looking forward to him to be bowling this season... he was coming back from an injury already, but after those matches against England, the last ODI, I believe he picked up niggle, so that is something that we are nursing at the moment," Jayawardene said during a virtual press conference. The former Sri Lanka batsman further hoped that Hardik will be able to get back to full fitness and return to bowling in the coming weeks while adding Mumbai Indians don’t want to risk him by rushing things. ALSO READ: My first six balls could have cost us in another match, says CSK's MS Dhoni after slow knock vs RR "We don't want to risk it, because it is important that we make sure that he (Hardik) is in a position to comfortably come in and bowl. So hopefully in the next few weeks, with a bit of work and all that, we might see him bowling," he said. "It is not that we are deliberately trying to not bowl him, we would love to have him bowling, but as soon as the niggle is off and he is comfortable, we should be able to use that asset as well." The 27-year-old has been actively contributing in the field despite being out of action with the ball. He completed two direct hits in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to dismiss David Warner and Abdul Samad. "We have always used Hardik on the boundary line because of his speed and he has a good throwing arm and his catching ability," Jayawardene said. ALSO READ: DC vs MI, IPL 2021: Head-to-head stats, MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch report, Chennai weather forecast - All you need to know "Last few games, because he has a niggle in the shoulder, we kept (him) in 30 yards and he has proved the value of that by picking up a few runs-outs, because he is agile." Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in Chennai. ×

IPL 2021: When will Hardik Pandya bowl again? Mumbai Indians' Mahela Jayawardene responds

From Virat Kohli to Rashid Khan: Top 7 IPL 2021 stars and their cricketing idols

<p>England all-rounder Ben Stokes demolished the Indian bowling attack as he hammered 99 runs off just 52 deliveries in the second ODI against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He was the reason why England could easily chase mammoth 336 runs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That's the reason why Stokes' wicket in the third match was important to Team India. Team India got their chance early in the match but Hardik Pandya dropped a sitter. However, Virat and Co. got another chance and Shikhar Dhawan did not make any mistake and caught the all-rounder.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik Pandya's reaction after Stokes' dismissal became a talking point on social media. Pandya was seen going on his knees and thanking Dhawan for taking the match as his blunder could have cost India the ODI series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several netizens reacted to Pandya's hilarious reaction after Stokes' dismissal.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reaction of Hardik pandya after gabbar taking the catch of ben stokes 😂😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/nGsDMu0gWz">pic.twitter.com/nGsDMu0gWz</a></p>
— 👑 (@viratian18183) <a href="https://twitter.com/viratian18183/status/1376163494203023367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hardik Pandya reaction after Natarajan get the wicket of Stokes. Earlier Pandya dropped Stokes. <a href="https://t.co/Tyejq8jFJS">pic.twitter.com/Tyejq8jFJS</a></p>
— Abhinav (@DeadlyYorkers) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeadlyYorkers/status/1376163259091275782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pic of the day 😂😂😂 Hardik pandya<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/jqSAlTt37E">pic.twitter.com/jqSAlTt37E</a></p>
— 👑 (@viratian18183) <a href="https://twitter.com/viratian18183/status/1376174349888057350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>India are currently trying to defend 330 runs in the series decider at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.&nbsp;</p>


England all-rounder Ben Stokes demolished the Indian bowling attack as he hammered 99 runs off just 52 deliveries in the second ODI against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes demolished the Indian bowling attack as he hammered 99 runs off just 52 deliveries in the second ODI against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He was the reason why England could easily chase mammoth 336 runs. That's the reason why Stokes' wicket in the third match was important to Team India. Team India got their chance early in the match but Hardik Pandya dropped a sitter. However, Virat and Co. got another chance and Shikhar Dhawan did not make any mistake and caught the all-rounder. Hardik Pandya's reaction after Stokes' dismissal became a talking point on social media. Pandya was seen going on his knees and thanking Dhawan for taking the match as his blunder could have cost India the ODI series. Several netizens reacted to Pandya's hilarious reaction after Stokes' dismissal. Reaction of Hardik pandya after gabbar taking the catch of ben stokes 😂😂#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/nGsDMu0gWz — 👑 (@viratian18183) March 28, 2021 × Hardik Pandya reaction after Natarajan get the wicket of Stokes. Earlier Pandya dropped Stokes. pic.twitter.com/Tyejq8jFJS — Abhinav (@DeadlyYorkers) March 28, 2021 × Pic of the day 😂😂😂 Hardik pandya#INDvsENG #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/jqSAlTt37E — 👑 (@viratian18183) March 28, 2021 × India are currently trying to defend 330 runs in the series decider at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

WATCH| Hardik Pandya's hilarious reaction after Ben Stokes' dismissal

<p>Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was given the ball in the T20Is but not for the ODIs match against England and explained that it was workload management.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/star-pacer-jofra-archer-to-undergo-surgery-on-right-hand-ecb-373729" hreflang="en">Star pacer Jofra Archer to undergo surgery on right hand: ECB</a></p>

<p>He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting."</p>

<p>"We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik</p>

<p>However, former Indian opener Sehwag felt that Hardik Pandya could have bowled at least 3-4 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At least to make a change, Hardik Pandya could have been given a spell of 3-4 overs. I don't understand if he can bowl four overs in T20I cricket, then why cannot he do the same in ODI cricket," Sehwag asked on Cricbuzz.</p>

<p>"If he only wants to play as a batsman, then say that he will only play as a batsman in ODI cricket, so then his performance will be assessed accordingly. Because as an allrounder you sometimes get an advantage, that if you are unable to perform with the bat on one day, then you performed with the ball.</p>

<p>"Or vice-versa. But if he is not going to ball, then he will only be assessed as a batsman. So, I am little disappointed that Pandya did not bowl a single over. If he is fit, he can bowl four overs in T20Is, so he could have bowled a couple of overs. If he had got a breakthrough, it would have helped the team," he added.</p>

<p>Sehwag went on to say that Hardik Pandya has not played much cricket since his return and questioned the workload management.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If there are no overs in Hardik Pandya's workload, then I feel something is wrong. Kohli said that workload management is being done for all bowlers including Pandya. But it cannot be so that he does not bowl a single over. Fielding for 50 overs is also tiring, so if he bowls four-five overs in between, it would not increase the workload much. I don't know who decides that Pandya's workload has increased. Because since he has returned from surgery, he has not played much cricket," Sehwag said.</p>

<p>"He missed the Tests. He has played 3 T20Is, in which he bowled four-six overs. The load of work has not even come on him yet since he has returned to fitness. If he was playing non-stop cricket across all formats, then I would have understood it. But he has no load on himself yet. He has only played T20Is. Maybe he might have said that he will not bowl 10 overs in ODI cricket, because if I get injured I might have to miss IPL."</p>


Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was given the ball in the T20Is but not for the ODIs match against England and explained that it was workload management.

Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was given the ball in the T20Is but not for the ODIs match against England and explained that it was workload management. ALSO READ: Star pacer Jofra Archer to undergo surgery on right hand: ECB He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting." "We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik However, former Indian opener Sehwag felt that Hardik Pandya could have bowled at least 3-4 overs. "At least to make a change, Hardik Pandya could have been given a spell of 3-4 overs. I don't understand if he can bowl four overs in T20I cricket, then why cannot he do the same in ODI cricket," Sehwag asked on Cricbuzz. "If he only wants to play as a batsman, then say that he will only play as a batsman in ODI cricket, so then his performance will be assessed accordingly. Because as an allrounder you sometimes get an advantage, that if you are unable to perform with the bat on one day, then you performed with the ball. "Or vice-versa. But if he is not going to ball, then he will only be assessed as a batsman. So, I am little disappointed that Pandya did not bowl a single over. If he is fit, he can bowl four overs in T20Is, so he could have bowled a couple of overs. If he had got a breakthrough, it would have helped the team," he added. Sehwag went on to say that Hardik Pandya has not played much cricket since his return and questioned the workload management. "If there are no overs in Hardik Pandya's workload, then I feel something is wrong. Kohli said that workload management is being done for all bowlers including Pandya. But it cannot be so that he does not bowl a single over. Fielding for 50 overs is also tiring, so if he bowls four-five overs in between, it would not increase the workload much. I don't know who decides that Pandya's workload has increased. Because since he has returned from surgery, he has not played much cricket," Sehwag said. "He missed the Tests. He has played 3 T20Is, in which he bowled four-six overs. The load of work has not even come on him yet since he has returned to fitness. If he was playing non-stop cricket across all formats, then I would have understood it. But he has no load on himself yet. He has only played T20Is. Maybe he might have said that he will not bowl 10 overs in ODI cricket, because if I get injured I might have to miss IPL."

'I feel something is wrong': Virender Sehwag disagrees with Virat Kohli on Hardik's workload

<p>Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-felt-like-i-was-watching-a-computer-game-stuart-broad-after-englands-big-win-against-india-373645" hreflang="en">'I felt like I was watching a computer game': Stuart Broad after England's big win against India</a></p>

<p>Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was not given the ball in the ODI match against England. He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting."</p>

<p>"We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik</p>

<p>The prolific all-rounder underwent intense rehab after going through back surgery in September 2019. Despite being declared fit, Hardik's role was restricted to being a pure batsman, even for Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His bowling action had to be remodelled, however, is still not preferred to bowl for Team India. His brother, Krunal Pandya did not have a great outing with the ball in the second ODI against as the Baroda-based bowler conceded 72 runs in just 6 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that Team India can't use the left-arm spinner as their fifth bowling option.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking on Star Sports after the match, Gavaskar said: "I will say the Indian bowling was probably a little weak because Krunal Pandya cannot be your fifth bowler, he cannot be a bowler who bowls 10 overs. You need a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal on such pitches, who can bowl 10 overs."<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya had a fine run with the ball in the T20I series against England. However, the Baroda-based player did not bowl in the ODI match against England. ALSO READ: 'I felt like I was watching a computer game': Stuart Broad after England's big win against India Skipper Kohli explained the reason why Hardik was not given the ball in the ODI match against England. He said: "We need to manage his body as well going forward. We need to understand where we need his skill sets with the ball along with his batting." "We used him in the T20Is but it's a bit of workload management as well. We want to ensure we have Hardik Pandya fit and strong because he's going to be an important part of the squad," Kohli said about Hardik The prolific all-rounder underwent intense rehab after going through back surgery in September 2019. Despite being declared fit, Hardik's role was restricted to being a pure batsman, even for Mumbai Indians. His bowling action had to be remodelled, however, is still not preferred to bowl for Team India. His brother, Krunal Pandya did not have a great outing with the ball in the second ODI against as the Baroda-based bowler conceded 72 runs in just 6 overs. Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that Team India can't use the left-arm spinner as their fifth bowling option. Speaking on Star Sports after the match, Gavaskar said: "I will say the Indian bowling was probably a little weak because Krunal Pandya cannot be your fifth bowler, he cannot be a bowler who bowls 10 overs. You need a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal on such pitches, who can bowl 10 overs."

'We used him in the T20Is but it's...': Virat Kohli on whether Hardik will bowl in ODI series

<p>Team India off-spinner Axar Patel was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' after producing the best bowling figures in a day-night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera. The off-spinner took 11 wickets for 70 runs to hand England a 10-wicket defeat on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravichandran-ashwin-becomes-second-fastest-to-400-test-wickets-only-fourth-indian-to-achieve-milestone-366225" hreflang="en">Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second-fastest to 400 Test wickets, only fourth Indian to achieve milestone</a></strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>After the match, the two local boys, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, came together for a light-hearted interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While both of them were discussing the feeling of playing in front of the home crowd, Indian skipper Virat Kohli crashed the interview and praised Axar Patel in Gujurati. To which Hardik said: "He is trying to learn a bit of Gujarati these days."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">DO NOT MISS: <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> interviews man of the moment <a href="https://twitter.com/akshar2026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akshar2026</a>.👍👍 - By <a href="https://twitter.com/RajalArora?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RajalArora</a><br />
<br />
P.S.: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> skipper <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> makes a special appearance 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PinkBallTest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PinkBallTest</a><br />
<br />
Watch the full interview 🎥 👇 <a href="https://t.co/kytMdM4JzN">https://t.co/kytMdM4JzN</a> <a href="https://t.co/QLJWMkCNM5">pic.twitter.com/QLJWMkCNM5</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1365149591293820929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>India on Thursday took a 2-1 lead in the four-test series after defeating England by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS|&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/team-india-beat-england-in-pink-ball-test-at-worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-366282">Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium</a></p>

<p>England looked clueless against Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel as the spin duo picked up a combined 18 wickets in both innings to bundle England out for 112 and 82 respectively.</p>

<p>While Ashwin went on to achieve the monumental feat of 400 Test wickets – becoming only the third Indian to touch the landmark – local boy Axar Patel, playing just his second Test, registered his maiden 10-wicket-haul in Test cricket.</p>


Team India off-spinner Axar Patel was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' after producing the best bowling figures in a day-night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera.

Team India off-spinner Axar Patel was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' after producing the best bowling figures in a day-night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera. The off-spinner took 11 wickets for 70 runs to hand England a 10-wicket defeat on Thursday. ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second-fastest to 400 Test wickets, only fourth Indian to achieve milestone After the match, the two local boys, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, came together for a light-hearted interview. While both of them were discussing the feeling of playing in front of the home crowd, Indian skipper Virat Kohli crashed the interview and praised Axar Patel in Gujurati. To which Hardik said: "He is trying to learn a bit of Gujarati these days." DO NOT MISS: @hardikpandya7 interviews man of the moment @akshar2026.👍👍 - By @RajalArora P.S.: #TeamIndia skipper @imVkohli makes a special appearance 😎@Paytm #INDvENG #PinkBallTest Watch the full interview 🎥 👇 https://t.co/kytMdM4JzN pic.twitter.com/QLJWMkCNM5 — BCCI (@BCCI) February 26, 2021 × India on Thursday took a 2-1 lead in the four-test series after defeating England by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. IN PICS| Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium England looked clueless against Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel as the spin duo picked up a combined 18 wickets in both innings to bundle England out for 112 and 82 respectively. While Ashwin went on to achieve the monumental feat of 400 Test wickets – becoming only the third Indian to touch the landmark – local boy Axar Patel, playing just his second Test, registered his maiden 10-wicket-haul in Test cricket.

WATCH: Virat Kohli crashes Axar-Hardik's interview; compliments Patel in Gujarati

<p class="MsoNormal">The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the squad for the first two Test against England starting from February 5. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma returned to the Test squad, the likes of Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj were rewarded for their splendid performance against Australia in the just-concluded series.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Notably, the BCCI has named nine standbys for the England series with five batsmen and four&nbsp;bowlers waiting in the ranks. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian squad for the first two Tests was finalised by the newly assembled Indian selection committee led by the former Indian pacer Chetan Sharma.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/history-at-the-gabba-india-defeat-australia-by-3-wickets-seal-series-2-1-357669" hreflang="en">History at the Gabba! India defeat Australia by 3 wickets, seal series 2-1</a></strong></p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal"><strong>India squad for first two Tests vs England:</strong><o:p></o:p></h2>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Openers</strong>: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Middle-order</strong>: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (subject to fitness after first Test)<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Fast bowlers</strong>: Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Spinners</strong>: R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Standbys</strong>: Priyank Panchal, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Net bowlers: </strong>Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, K Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar</p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the squad for the first two Test against England starting from February 5. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma returned to the Test squad, the likes of Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj were rewarded for their splendid performance against Australia in the just-concluded series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the squad for the first two Test against England starting from February 5. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma returned to the Test squad, the likes of Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj were rewarded for their splendid performance against Australia in the just-concluded series. Notably, the BCCI has named nine standbys for the England series with five batsmen and four bowlers waiting in the ranks. The Indian squad for the first two Tests was finalised by the newly assembled Indian selection committee led by the former Indian pacer Chetan Sharma. ALSO READ: History at the Gabba! India defeat Australia by 3 wickets, seal series 2-1 India squad for first two Tests vs England: Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal Middle-order: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (subject to fitness after first Test) Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur Spinners: R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel Standbys: Priyank Panchal, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar Net bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, K Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar

Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya return as India announce squad for first two Tests vs England

<p>Indian cricketers Hardik and Krunal Pandya's father Himanshu Pandya passed away at the age of 71 on Saturday morning due to a cardiac arrest. Krunal, who was the skipper of Baroda at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, left the tournament's bio-bubble to be with his family.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-4th-test-thunderstorm-plays-spoilsport-as-india-end-day-2-at-622-357080" hreflang="en">Ind vs Aus, 4th Test: Thunderstorm plays spoilsport as India end Day 2 at 62/2</a></p>

<p>"Yes, Krunal Pandya has left the bubble. It is a personal tragedy, Baroda Cricket Association mourns this loss of Hardik and Krunal," Baroda Cricket Association CEO Shishir Hattangadi told ANI.</p>

<p>Himanshu played a key role in the success of Pandya brothers in the world of cricket. Hardik is currently preparing himself for the white-ball series against England.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many cricketers, including Indian captain Virat Kohli, sent their condolence to the Pandya duo after the demise of their father.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India captain Virat Kohli took to Twitter to pay condolences to Hardik and Krunal, he said: "Heartbroken to hear about the demise of Hardik and Krunal's dad. Spoke to him a couple of times, looked a joyful and full of life person. May his soul rest in peace. Stay strong you two. @hardikpandya7 @krunalpandya24"</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Heartbroken to hear about the demise of Hardik and Krunal's dad. Spoke to him a couple of times, looked a joyful and full of life person. May his soul rest in peace. Stay strong you two. <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/krunalpandya24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krunalpandya24</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1350312797075173376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said: "Remember meeting uncle for the first time at motibagh. He was so keen for his sons to play good cricket. My condolences to You and family. May god give you strength to pass through this difficult time @krunalpandya24 @hardikpandya7"</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Remember meeting uncle for the first time at motibagh. He was so keen for his sons to play good cricket. My condolences to You and family. May god give you strength to pass through this difficult time <a href="https://twitter.com/krunalpandya24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krunalpandya24</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a></p>
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrfanPathan/status/1350304456609472512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Krunal's team, Baroda, has so far won all three matches and top the Group C at the domestic T20 tournament. The skipper scalped four wickets and played a successful knock of 76 in the first match.&nbsp;</p>


Indian cricketers Hardik and Krunal Pandya's father Himanshu Pandya passed away at the age of 71 on Saturday morning due to a cardiac arrest. Krunal, who was the skipper of Baroda at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, left the tournament's bio-bubble to be with his family.

Indian cricketers Hardik and Krunal Pandya's father Himanshu Pandya passed away at the age of 71 on Saturday morning due to a cardiac arrest. Krunal, who was the skipper of Baroda at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, left the tournament's bio-bubble to be with his family. ALSO READ: Ind vs Aus, 4th Test: Thunderstorm plays spoilsport as India end Day 2 at 62/2 "Yes, Krunal Pandya has left the bubble. It is a personal tragedy, Baroda Cricket Association mourns this loss of Hardik and Krunal," Baroda Cricket Association CEO Shishir Hattangadi told ANI. Himanshu played a key role in the success of Pandya brothers in the world of cricket. Hardik is currently preparing himself for the white-ball series against England. Many cricketers, including Indian captain Virat Kohli, sent their condolence to the Pandya duo after the demise of their father. India captain Virat Kohli took to Twitter to pay condolences to Hardik and Krunal, he said: "Heartbroken to hear about the demise of Hardik and Krunal's dad. Spoke to him a couple of times, looked a joyful and full of life person. May his soul rest in peace. Stay strong you two. @hardikpandya7 @krunalpandya24" Heartbroken to hear about the demise of Hardik and Krunal's dad. Spoke to him a couple of times, looked a joyful and full of life person. May his soul rest in peace. Stay strong you two. @hardikpandya7 @krunalpandya24 — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 16, 2021 × Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said: "Remember meeting uncle for the first time at motibagh. He was so keen for his sons to play good cricket. My condolences to You and family. May god give you strength to pass through this difficult time @krunalpandya24 @hardikpandya7" Remember meeting uncle for the first time at motibagh. He was so keen for his sons to play good cricket. My condolences to You and family. May god give you strength to pass through this difficult time @krunalpandya24 @hardikpandya7 — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 16, 2021 × Krunal's team, Baroda, has so far won all three matches and top the Group C at the domestic T20 tournament. The skipper scalped four wickets and played a successful knock of 76 in the first match.

Hardik and Krunal Pandya's father passes away, Virat Kohli and others send condolences

<p>Former World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has been impressed by Pandya's form lately. He urged Kohli to experiment with Pandya in the shortest format of the game.</p>

<p>Pandya was sent back home during the 2018-19 India's Tour of Australia after his controversial remarks in a non-cricket talk show. However, now Pandya has been one of the most reliable all-rounders for Team India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pandya's consistency with both bat and bowl has impressed Kapil Dev. In the recent T20 series, Pandya played the role of a finisher. Kapil said Pandya should be promoted to No.4 in T20s.</p>

<p>“You need to 2-3 players in the middle-order who can give you momentum. There is Hardik Pandya. You can make him a No.4 batsman in T20s. It’s all about experimenting,” Kapil told ABP Uncut.</p>

<p>“You have youngsters like Mayank and Sanju Samson. The captain has to back youngsters and also the management. The think tank has to believe in building a new team because T20 is a format of the youth.</p>

<p>“It is surprising that despite hosting IPL for so many years you are still apprehensive in taking such calls. T20 allows youngsters to be ruthless and if there was no IPL then there wouldn’t have been any discussion but since we have a tournament like IPL, we should make more use of it,” Kapil added.</p>


Former World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has been impressed by Pandya's form lately. He urged Kohli to experiment with Pandya in the shortest format of the game.

Former World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has been impressed by Pandya's form lately. He urged Kohli to experiment with Pandya in the shortest format of the game. Pandya was sent back home during the 2018-19 India's Tour of Australia after his controversial remarks in a non-cricket talk show. However, now Pandya has been one of the most reliable all-rounders for Team India. Pandya's consistency with both bat and bowl has impressed Kapil Dev. In the recent T20 series, Pandya played the role of a finisher. Kapil said Pandya should be promoted to No.4 in T20s. “You need to 2-3 players in the middle-order who can give you momentum. There is Hardik Pandya. You can make him a No.4 batsman in T20s. It’s all about experimenting,” Kapil told ABP Uncut. “You have youngsters like Mayank and Sanju Samson. The captain has to back youngsters and also the management. The think tank has to believe in building a new team because T20 is a format of the youth. “It is surprising that despite hosting IPL for so many years you are still apprehensive in taking such calls. T20 allows youngsters to be ruthless and if there was no IPL then there wouldn’t have been any discussion but since we have a tournament like IPL, we should make more use of it,” Kapil added.

'It’s all about experimenting': Kapil Dev urges Kohli to promote Pandya to No.4 in T20Is

<p>Australia coach Justin Langer on Sunday described India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's match-winning innings in the second T20 International as an "incredible spectacle" and likened him to former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a finisher.</p>

<p>A swashbuckling Pandya struck 42 not out off 22 balls as he finished what Shikhar Dhawan had set out to achieve with a scintillating 36-ball 52 to set up India's series-clinching six-wicket win.</p>

<p>"It was an incredible spectacle of a game. We know how dangerous he (Pandya) is. In the past we had MS Dhoni and the way he (Pandya) played today," Langer said at the virtual post-match press conference.</p>

<p>"He has played really well all summer so, obviously it was a great innings in the end there,"&nbsp;Langer admitted that India were too good for his side with a lot of experienced T20 players in their ranks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I thought the whole game was a very close one. Our fielding was absolutely incredible, it was electric to watch, but India with their experienced T20 players were too good for us today," said the Australia coach.</p>

<p>Virat Kohli also played a part in India's win with 40 runs off 24 balls and Langer praised the India captain for some "extraordinary" shots he played on Sunday. ?Some of Virat (Kohli's) shots, I have said for years he (Kohli) is the best player I have probably ever seen. Some of the shots he played tonight were extraordinary and (they got) good opening partnership and got over the line,"&nbsp;the former Australia opening batsman said.</p>

<p>According to Langer, his side thought they had enough runs on the board to defend and India had to bat really well to win the match. "I am proud of my players. It was a great spectacle, on a Sunday night India versus Australia, it got so close, it was a really exciting game. We batted really well, had enough runs and thought India would have to bat really well."</p>

<p>Langer also had words of praise for his leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who returned with figures of 1-25. ?I thought Mitch (Mitchell) Swepson bowled really well, he was excellent tonight and served the value of playing two leg-spinner bowlers. Mitch bowled well, (also) took a couple of catches, he has had a really good performance. "And Matthew Wade batted beautifully at the top of the order, Steve Smith also batted well, so plenty of good contributions, what stood out to me was the athleticism in the field.</p>

<p>"Didn't quite get us there, but we certainly had our chances to win the game like most of the games we have played ... Since the England (tour)." Talking about stand-in-skipper Matthew Wade, Langer said, "He did a really good job, mixed the bowling around well, that catch to get Virat out was an excellent catch. He had a good game."</p>

<p>The third T20 International will be telecast live on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Six channels on Tuesday from 12.30pm.</p>


Australia coach Justin Langer on Sunday described India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's match-winning innings in the second T20 International as an "incredible spectacle" and likened him to former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a finisher.

Australia coach Justin Langer on Sunday described India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's match-winning innings in the second T20 International as an "incredible spectacle" and likened him to former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a finisher. A swashbuckling Pandya struck 42 not out off 22 balls as he finished what Shikhar Dhawan had set out to achieve with a scintillating 36-ball 52 to set up India's series-clinching six-wicket win. "It was an incredible spectacle of a game. We know how dangerous he (Pandya) is. In the past we had MS Dhoni and the way he (Pandya) played today," Langer said at the virtual post-match press conference. "He has played really well all summer so, obviously it was a great innings in the end there," Langer admitted that India were too good for his side with a lot of experienced T20 players in their ranks. "I thought the whole game was a very close one. Our fielding was absolutely incredible, it was electric to watch, but India with their experienced T20 players were too good for us today," said the Australia coach. Virat Kohli also played a part in India's win with 40 runs off 24 balls and Langer praised the India captain for some "extraordinary" shots he played on Sunday. ?Some of Virat (Kohli's) shots, I have said for years he (Kohli) is the best player I have probably ever seen. Some of the shots he played tonight were extraordinary and (they got) good opening partnership and got over the line," the former Australia opening batsman said. According to Langer, his side thought they had enough runs on the board to defend and India had to bat really well to win the match. "I am proud of my players. It was a great spectacle, on a Sunday night India versus Australia, it got so close, it was a really exciting game. We batted really well, had enough runs and thought India would have to bat really well." Langer also had words of praise for his leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who returned with figures of 1-25. ?I thought Mitch (Mitchell) Swepson bowled really well, he was excellent tonight and served the value of playing two leg-spinner bowlers. Mitch bowled well, (also) took a couple of catches, he has had a really good performance. "And Matthew Wade batted beautifully at the top of the order, Steve Smith also batted well, so plenty of good contributions, what stood out to me was the athleticism in the field. "Didn't quite get us there, but we certainly had our chances to win the game like most of the games we have played ... Since the England (tour)." Talking about stand-in-skipper Matthew Wade, Langer said, "He did a really good job, mixed the bowling around well, that catch to get Virat out was an excellent catch. He had a good game." The third T20 International will be telecast live on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Six channels on Tuesday from 12.30pm.

'Incredible spectacle': Langer impressed with Pandya's Dhoni-like finishing skills

<p>The Indian cricket team on Wednesday defeated Australia by 13 runs in the third and final ODI of the series in Canberra as the Men in Blue finally tasted success on Australian soil in the 2020-21 tour. After losing the first two ODIs, India fought back hard to get a solitary in the ODI series and will head into the three-match T20I series with a win.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Batting first, India posted 302/5 runs on board in 50 overs with Hardik Pandya smashing an unbeaten 92 laced by seven boundaries and one six. Indian skipper Virat Kohli started the rout with the willow as he laid the platform with a well-made 63 off 78 after losing Shikhar Dhawan (16) and Shubman Gill (33) earlier in the innings.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/playing-for-australia-is-more-important-than-playing-in-ipl-shane-warne-after-pat-cummins-rested-for-third-odi-346928" hreflang="en">'Playing for Australia is more important than playing in IPL': Shane Warne after Pat Cummins rested for third ODI</a></strong></p>

<p>Shreyas Iyer continued his hot-cold patch with the bat as he was dismissed by Adam Zampa on 19 before Ashton Agar sent KL Rahul packing for 5. With India struggling at 152/5 at one point, Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja stitched one of the finest partnerships of recent time and took India to a 300+ total.</p>

<p>While Hardik scored 92 not-out, Jadeja remained unbeaten at 66 off 50 deliveries as he hammered five boundaries and three sixes.</p>

<p>Chasing 303, Australia started confidently but lost new opener Marnus Labuschagne to debutant T Natarajan for 7. Steve Smith, who came into the match on the back of consecutive centuries, was dismissed for seven by Shardul Thakur. The Indian pacer further dismissed Moises Henriques (22) before Kuldeep Yadav sent debutant Cameron Green packing for 21.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-fastest-to-12000-runs-in-odi-cricket-surpasses-sachin-tendulkar-346863" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli fastest to 12000 runs in ODI cricket, surpasses Sachin Tendulkar</a></strong></p>

<p>Alex Carey (38) and Glenn Maxwell (59) showed some determination to take the chase close but fell short against a potent Indian bowling attack. Ashton Agar, too, crumbled under pressure as Indian won the third ODI by 13 runs. Australia end the series with a 2-1 win.</p>

<p>The three-match T20I series between India and Australia is set to start from December 4 (Friday).<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Indian cricket team on Wednesday defeated Australia by 13 runs in the third and final ODI of the series in Canberra as the Men in Blue finally tasted success on Australian soil in the 2020-21 tour.

The Indian cricket team on Wednesday defeated Australia by 13 runs in the third and final ODI of the series in Canberra as the Men in Blue finally tasted success on Australian soil in the 2020-21 tour. After losing the first two ODIs, India fought back hard to get a solitary in the ODI series and will head into the three-match T20I series with a win. Batting first, India posted 302/5 runs on board in 50 overs with Hardik Pandya smashing an unbeaten 92 laced by seven boundaries and one six. Indian skipper Virat Kohli started the rout with the willow as he laid the platform with a well-made 63 off 78 after losing Shikhar Dhawan (16) and Shubman Gill (33) earlier in the innings. ALSO READ: 'Playing for Australia is more important than playing in IPL': Shane Warne after Pat Cummins rested for third ODI Shreyas Iyer continued his hot-cold patch with the bat as he was dismissed by Adam Zampa on 19 before Ashton Agar sent KL Rahul packing for 5. With India struggling at 152/5 at one point, Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja stitched one of the finest partnerships of recent time and took India to a 300+ total. While Hardik scored 92 not-out, Jadeja remained unbeaten at 66 off 50 deliveries as he hammered five boundaries and three sixes. Chasing 303, Australia started confidently but lost new opener Marnus Labuschagne to debutant T Natarajan for 7. Steve Smith, who came into the match on the back of consecutive centuries, was dismissed for seven by Shardul Thakur. The Indian pacer further dismissed Moises Henriques (22) before Kuldeep Yadav sent debutant Cameron Green packing for 21. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli fastest to 12000 runs in ODI cricket, surpasses Sachin Tendulkar Alex Carey (38) and Glenn Maxwell (59) showed some determination to take the chase close but fell short against a potent Indian bowling attack. Ashton Agar, too, crumbled under pressure as Indian won the third ODI by 13 runs. Australia end the series with a 2-1 win. The three-match T20I series between India and Australia is set to start from December 4 (Friday).

IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli and Co. win 3rd ODI by 13 runs but lose series 2-1

<p>Indian cricket team’s Australia tour of 2020-21 was off to the worst possible start as the Men in Blue, in retro jersey, suffered a crushing 66-run defeat at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Friday. Australian skipper Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood were the pick of the players for the hosts with the former two scoring thunderous centuries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australia, batting first, piled on a mammoth score of 374/6 in 50 overs as Finch and Steve smoked centuries while David Warner (69) and Glenn Maxwell (45) contributed with crucial runs. The Indian bowlers looked rusty and sloppy with Mohammed Shami standing out with figures 3-59 in 10 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-1st-odi-adam-gilchrist-apologizes-after-a-goof-up-during-commentating-345842" hreflang="en">IND vs AUS 1st ODI: Adam Gilchrist apologizes after a goof up during commentating</a></strong></p>

<p>Chasing a mighty 375, India started off well with Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan stitching a 53-run stand. However, Australian bowlers stood tall as Hazlewood sent Agarwal packing for 22. Skipper Virat Kohli started off well but was caught for pace by Hazlewood. Shreyas Iyer endured the same fate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Adam Zampa continued his terrific run with the ball in ODI cricket as he picked up four wickets while sending the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-1st-odi-no-1bn-adani-loan-protesters-enter-ground-holding-banner-against-adani-group-345782" hreflang="en">IND vs AUS 1st ODI: ‘No $1BN Adani Loan’ - Protesters enter ground holding banner against Adani Group</a></strong></p>

<p>Hardik and Dhawan hung around for a bit and played some great strokes to take the game a bit deeper. While Dhawan was finally sent packing for 74, Hardik followed suit after a cracking 90 off 76 deliveries. Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini stuck a six each in the end as India finished at 308-8 in 50 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australia, with the win, take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with the next match scheduled to be played on Sunday at SCG.</p>


Indian cricket team’s Australia tour of 2020-21 was off to the worst possible start as the Men in Blue, in retro jersey, suffered a crushing 66-run defeat at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Friday.

Indian cricket team’s Australia tour of 2020-21 was off to the worst possible start as the Men in Blue, in retro jersey, suffered a crushing 66-run defeat at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Friday. Australian skipper Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood were the pick of the players for the hosts with the former two scoring thunderous centuries. Australia, batting first, piled on a mammoth score of 374/6 in 50 overs as Finch and Steve smoked centuries while David Warner (69) and Glenn Maxwell (45) contributed with crucial runs. The Indian bowlers looked rusty and sloppy with Mohammed Shami standing out with figures 3-59 in 10 overs. ALSO READ: IND vs AUS 1st ODI: Adam Gilchrist apologizes after a goof up during commentating Chasing a mighty 375, India started off well with Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan stitching a 53-run stand. However, Australian bowlers stood tall as Hazlewood sent Agarwal packing for 22. Skipper Virat Kohli started off well but was caught for pace by Hazlewood. Shreyas Iyer endured the same fate. Adam Zampa continued his terrific run with the ball in ODI cricket as he picked up four wickets while sending the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. ALSO READ: IND vs AUS 1st ODI: ‘No $1BN Adani Loan’ - Protesters enter ground holding banner against Adani Group Hardik and Dhawan hung around for a bit and played some great strokes to take the game a bit deeper. While Dhawan was finally sent packing for 74, Hardik followed suit after a cracking 90 off 76 deliveries. Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini stuck a six each in the end as India finished at 308-8 in 50 overs. Australia, with the win, take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with the next match scheduled to be played on Sunday at SCG.

India vs Australia: Virat Kohli & Co. start the tour with 66-run defeat

<p>Mumbai Indians on Thursday defeated Delhi Capitals by 57 runs at the Dubai International Stadium to storm into the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Delhi Capitals were simply outplayed by the class of Mumbai Indians as they fell short by 57 runs and will now have to play the Qualifier 2 against the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in a bid to secure a berth in the final of IPL 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Power-paced Mumbai Indians batting&nbsp;unit lights up Dubai</h2>

<p>Mumbai Indians’ batting scorecard might not look the best with captain Rohit Sharma scoring a golden duck and Kieron Pollard a two-ball duck. Breathtaking contributions with the willow by Quinton de Kock (40 off 25), Suryakumar Yadav (51 off 38), Ishan Kishan (55* off 30) and Hardik Pandya (37* off 14) made sure Mumbai Indians the four-time IPL winners had a mammoth total on the board.</p>

<p>The fact that MI batters never slowed down their run-scoring tempo despite losing two big wickets in Rohit and Pollard for cheap, shows the quality and temperament of the defending champions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai Indians were asked to bat first by Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer with Ravichandran Ashwin taking the Delhi outfit off to a flyer as he dismissed Rohit for a golden duck. However, SKY continued his sensational run with the bat and stitched an important partnership with in-form Quinton de Kock.</p>

<p><img alt="MI" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d29907d-95f9-42cc-86fc-618ca8aed260" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EmEV2XcVoAEPISB.jpg" /></p>

<h2>Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya show</h2>

<p>Ishan Kishan chipped in after de Kock’s departure but his best shots came later in the innings as he went hammer and tonks. Hardik Pandya showed his power-hitting prowess as he whacked five sixes in his 37-run knock of 14 deliveries where he scored his runs at a staggering strike-rate of 264.29.</p>

<p><img alt="MI" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="627ed4af-5060-46dc-bfe6-cd5b1143f1a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EmEg85cU4AAmr9O.jpg" /></p>

<h2>Three ducks for Delhi Capitals</h2>

<p>Chasing a massive 201, Delhi Capitals were down on their knees when Trent Boult bowled a double-wicket maiden in the very first over while dismissing Prithvi Shaw (0) and Ajinkya Rahane (0). Jasprit Bumrah, from the other end, spiced up things even more with an inch-perfect yorker to get the better of Shikhar Dhawan (0).</p>

<p><img alt="MI" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d9e3bf4-6bdc-450d-ac8c-cf1fe39c372c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EmEn8_oU0AA7lYM.jpg" /></p>

<p>Skipper Shreyas Iyer departed soon, off 12, by Bumrah. While Marcus Stoinis played a gritty knock to save some blushes with a half-century (65 off 36), Rishabh Pant continued his poor run and was dismissed for 3. Axar Patel tried to chip in with some runs laced by lusty blows but it was too little too late for Delhi Capitals following a horrendous start to the chase as they ended up with 143-8 on the board. To complete Mumbai Indians' domination, the Bumrah and Boult bowled a double-wicket maiden each - shows what quality this side has.</p>

<p>Delhi Capitals will now have to play the Qualifier 2 against the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in a bid to secure a berth in the final of IPL 2020. The second qualifier is scheduled to be played in Abu Dhabi on November 8 (Sunday).</p>


Mumbai Indians on Thursday defeated Delhi Capitals by 57 runs at the Dubai International Stadium to storm into the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Delhi Capitals were simply outplayed by the class of Mumbai Indians as they fell short by 57 runs and will now have to play the Qualifier 2 against the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in a bid to secure a berth in the final of IPL 2020.

Mumbai Indians on Thursday defeated Delhi Capitals by 57 runs at the Dubai International Stadium to storm into the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Delhi Capitals were simply outplayed by the class of Mumbai Indians as they fell short by 57 runs and will now have to play the Qualifier 2 against the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in a bid to secure a berth in the final of IPL 2020. Power-paced Mumbai Indians batting unit lights up Dubai Mumbai Indians’ batting scorecard might not look the best with captain Rohit Sharma scoring a golden duck and Kieron Pollard a two-ball duck. Breathtaking contributions with the willow by Quinton de Kock (40 off 25), Suryakumar Yadav (51 off 38), Ishan Kishan (55* off 30) and Hardik Pandya (37* off 14) made sure Mumbai Indians the four-time IPL winners had a mammoth total on the board. The fact that MI batters never slowed down their run-scoring tempo despite losing two big wickets in Rohit and Pollard for cheap, shows the quality and temperament of the defending champions. Mumbai Indians were asked to bat first by Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer with Ravichandran Ashwin taking the Delhi outfit off to a flyer as he dismissed Rohit for a golden duck. However, SKY continued his sensational run with the bat and stitched an important partnership with in-form Quinton de Kock. Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya show Ishan Kishan chipped in after de Kock’s departure but his best shots came later in the innings as he went hammer and tonks. Hardik Pandya showed his power-hitting prowess as he whacked five sixes in his 37-run knock of 14 deliveries where he scored his runs at a staggering strike-rate of 264.29. Three ducks for Delhi Capitals Chasing a massive 201, Delhi Capitals were down on their knees when Trent Boult bowled a double-wicket maiden in the very first over while dismissing Prithvi Shaw (0) and Ajinkya Rahane (0). Jasprit Bumrah, from the other end, spiced up things even more with an inch-perfect yorker to get the better of Shikhar Dhawan (0). Skipper Shreyas Iyer departed soon, off 12, by Bumrah. While Marcus Stoinis played a gritty knock to save some blushes with a half-century (65 off 36), Rishabh Pant continued his poor run and was dismissed for 3. Axar Patel tried to chip in with some runs laced by lusty blows but it was too little too late for Delhi Capitals following a horrendous start to the chase as they ended up with 143-8 on the board. To complete Mumbai Indians' domination, the Bumrah and Boult bowled a double-wicket maiden each - shows what quality this side has. Delhi Capitals will now have to play the Qualifier 2 against the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in a bid to secure a berth in the final of IPL 2020. The second qualifier is scheduled to be played in Abu Dhabi on November 8 (Sunday).

MI vs DC, IPL 2020 Qualifier 1: Mumbai Indians storm into the final, blow away Delhi Capitals

All-rounder Hardik Pandya became the first player in IPL to take a knee to show support to the Black Lives Matter movement. The move won Pandya both brickbats and bouquets. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Hardik Pandya takes a knee during IPL game for Black Lives Matter

<p>Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya became the first player in the on-going Indian Premier League to take the knee and show solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-stokes-ton-keeps-royals-in-hunt-for-ipl-play-offs-chennai-out-337960" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Stokes ton keeps Royals in hunt for IPL play-offs, Chennai out</a></p>

<p>The Indian player made the gesture after scoring a quick-fire half-century against Rajasthan Royals. He scored an unbeaten 60 runs off 21 balls to power Mumbai to 195 runs by the end of innings. Pandya struck a six to reach his fifty and then he sat down on one knee and raised his right arm. Hardik then pointed towards MI dugout where their interim skipper Kieron Pollard responded with a raised right fist.</p>

<p>Pandya took to Twitter with a caption #BlackLivesMatter and a picture of him kneeling.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/yzUS1bWh7F">pic.twitter.com/yzUS1bWh7F</a></p>
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7/status/1320439367811252224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-bcci-announces-schedule-timings-and-venue-for-playoffs-338033" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: BCCI announces schedule, timings, and venue for playoffs</a></p>

<p>Hardik's knock went in vain as Rajasthan managed to chase the mammoth total with two overs to spare after Ben Stokes' century.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I thought they batted well. Hardik brought us straight back in the game with that knock at the halfway stage. We could have got a couple of wickets more, but the wicket ended up becoming a little better. Their spinners got some help from the pitch, but our spinners couldn’t do that. At the end of the day, someone wins, someone loses," Pollard said after the match.</p>

<p>"We just have to come out and play good cricket. Our bowlers tried, but well played to the opposition. He (Hardik) went out and scored 60* off 21, an innings like that and we end up on the losing side, that’s just tough luck," he added.</p>


Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya became the first player in the on-going Indian Premier League to take the knee and show solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Mumbai Indians' star all-rounder Hardik Pandya became the first player in the on-going Indian Premier League to take the knee and show solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement. Also read: IPL 2020: Stokes ton keeps Royals in hunt for IPL play-offs, Chennai out The Indian player made the gesture after scoring a quick-fire half-century against Rajasthan Royals. He scored an unbeaten 60 runs off 21 balls to power Mumbai to 195 runs by the end of innings. Pandya struck a six to reach his fifty and then he sat down on one knee and raised his right arm. Hardik then pointed towards MI dugout where their interim skipper Kieron Pollard responded with a raised right fist. Pandya took to Twitter with a caption #BlackLivesMatter and a picture of him kneeling. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/yzUS1bWh7F — hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) October 25, 2020 × Also read: IPL 2020: BCCI announces schedule, timings, and venue for playoffs Hardik's knock went in vain as Rajasthan managed to chase the mammoth total with two overs to spare after Ben Stokes' century. "I thought they batted well. Hardik brought us straight back in the game with that knock at the halfway stage. We could have got a couple of wickets more, but the wicket ended up becoming a little better. Their spinners got some help from the pitch, but our spinners couldn’t do that. At the end of the day, someone wins, someone loses," Pollard said after the match. "We just have to come out and play good cricket. Our bowlers tried, but well played to the opposition. He (Hardik) went out and scored 60* off 21, an innings like that and we end up on the losing side, that’s just tough luck," he added.

Hardik Pandya becomes first player in IPL 2020 to support #BlackLivesMatter

<p>Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries. Now, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Zaheer Khan has given an update on when fans can expect to see Hardik take the bowling duties in IPL 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik was out for a few months owing to a back injury and is slowly getting into the groove when it comes to top-level cricket. He has not yet been given the ball in MI’s first two matches against CSK and KKR. Giving an update on Hardik, Zaheer said that Hardik is expected to bowl sometime in IPL 2020 but added that everyone has to listen to his body.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The former Indian pacer further said that they in regular consultation with the physios about Hardik’s fitness.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australias-alyssa-healy-overtakes-ms-dhoni-for-most-dismissals-by-a-wicketkeeper-in-t20i-330665" hreflang="en">Australia's Alyssa Healy overtakes MS Dhoni for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20I</a></strong></p>

<p>“We are all expecting him (Hardik) to bowl and he is someone who really changes that balance of any side when he is bowling and he understands that,” Zaheer said in Mumbai Indians’ pre-match conference.</p>

<p>“But we have to listen to his body and that is something the conversation which we have been having in consultation with the physios.</p>

<p>“We are looking forward for him to bowl, he is very keen and really wanting to bowl, we just have to wait and be patient and listen to his body. At the end of the day for any bowler injuries play a huge role,” he further said.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-rr-vs-kxip-preview-can-smith-co-continue-their-winning-run-330659" hreflang="en">IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP Preview: Can Smith &amp; Co. continue their winning run?</a></strong></p>

<p>Hardik has scored 18 and 14 in the last two matches against KKR and CSK respectively and Zaheer said that Mumbai Indians are happy to have Hardik Pandya as a batsman.</p>

<p>“We are happy that he is there as a batter and with full fitness contributing and that is the exciting part and hopefully you will see bowl soon,” Zaheer added.</p>

<p>MI take on RCB on Monday at the Dubai International Stadium.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries.

Hardik Pandya is yet to bowl for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders had said that the flamboyant all-rounder is not yet ready to bowl given his recent track record with injuries. Now, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Zaheer Khan has given an update on when fans can expect to see Hardik take the bowling duties in IPL 2020. Hardik was out for a few months owing to a back injury and is slowly getting into the groove when it comes to top-level cricket. He has not yet been given the ball in MI’s first two matches against CSK and KKR. Giving an update on Hardik, Zaheer said that Hardik is expected to bowl sometime in IPL 2020 but added that everyone has to listen to his body. The former Indian pacer further said that they in regular consultation with the physios about Hardik’s fitness. ALSO READ: Australia's Alyssa Healy overtakes MS Dhoni for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20I “We are all expecting him (Hardik) to bowl and he is someone who really changes that balance of any side when he is bowling and he understands that,” Zaheer said in Mumbai Indians’ pre-match conference. “But we have to listen to his body and that is something the conversation which we have been having in consultation with the physios. “We are looking forward for him to bowl, he is very keen and really wanting to bowl, we just have to wait and be patient and listen to his body. At the end of the day for any bowler injuries play a huge role,” he further said. ALSO READ: IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP Preview: Can Smith & Co. continue their winning run? Hardik has scored 18 and 14 in the last two matches against KKR and CSK respectively and Zaheer said that Mumbai Indians are happy to have Hardik Pandya as a batsman. “We are happy that he is there as a batter and with full fitness contributing and that is the exciting part and hopefully you will see bowl soon,” Zaheer added. MI take on RCB on Monday at the Dubai International Stadium.

Will Hardik Pandya bowl for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020? Zaheer Khan provides an update

<p>Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya has warned other teams of his blistering form ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a>, scheduled to start from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Hardik hasn’t played international cricket for long now after suffering a back injury which required surgery. However, Hardik would like to make an instant impact when he takes to the field for four-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians.</p>

<p>Hardik was supposed to come back to the Indian team in the series against South Africa in March. However, after the first washed out match, the series was postponed due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.</p>

<p>The flamboyant all-rounder, ahead of their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2020">IPL 2020</a> season opener against Chennai Super Kings, said that injuries will always be a part of his life but it has taught him to value his fitness more while putting extra yards during training.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“In my life, I have realised one thing that injuries would be with me. No one wants to get injured but I accept the fact that what I do, injuries will be a part,” Hardik said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of Mumbai Indians.</p>

<p><strong>TRENDING:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-ms-dhoni-and-co-gear-up-for-ipl-2020-with-a-practice-match-327751">Watch: MS Dhoni and Co. gear up for IPL 2020 with a practice match</a></strong></p>

<p>“Injuries have always kept me going, always kept me motivated, actually taught me how much I have to put hard yards and the hard work has always increased, never decreased.</p>

<p>“I have always felt that if you go one step ahead in your fitness, there are many more magical moments in your life waiting,” the cricketer said.</p>

<p>Hardik was in sensational form when he played in DY Patil T20 earlier this year and was hitting the ball for fun. The 26-year-old said he is top shape physically and mentally while adding he wants to make a strong comeback in the T20 tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-rajasthan-royals-star-all-rounder-ben-stokes-availability-still-in-doubt-327719" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals' star Ben Stokes' availability still in doubt</a></strong></p>

<p>"The way I am hitting the ball right now, the shape and mental space I am in, it is just a matter of time that I go and spend some time on the ground and I think things will come out pretty well.</p>

<p>“IPL is something I have really enjoyed and I would like to make a comeback very strong, just looking forward to it,” Pandya said.</p>

<p>Defending champions Mumbai Indians will lock horns with three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.</p>


Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya has warned other teams of his blistering form ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, scheduled to start from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya has warned other teams of his blistering form ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, scheduled to start from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Hardik hasn’t played international cricket for long now after suffering a back injury which required surgery. However, Hardik would like to make an instant impact when he takes to the field for four-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians. Hardik was supposed to come back to the Indian team in the series against South Africa in March. However, after the first washed out match, the series was postponed due to coronavirus outbreak in the country. The flamboyant all-rounder, ahead of their IPL 2020 season opener against Chennai Super Kings, said that injuries will always be a part of his life but it has taught him to value his fitness more while putting extra yards during training. “In my life, I have realised one thing that injuries would be with me. No one wants to get injured but I accept the fact that what I do, injuries will be a part,” Hardik said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of Mumbai Indians. TRENDING: Watch: MS Dhoni and Co. gear up for IPL 2020 with a practice match “Injuries have always kept me going, always kept me motivated, actually taught me how much I have to put hard yards and the hard work has always increased, never decreased. “I have always felt that if you go one step ahead in your fitness, there are many more magical moments in your life waiting,” the cricketer said. Hardik was in sensational form when he played in DY Patil T20 earlier this year and was hitting the ball for fun. The 26-year-old said he is top shape physically and mentally while adding he wants to make a strong comeback in the T20 tournament. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals' star Ben Stokes' availability still in doubt "The way I am hitting the ball right now, the shape and mental space I am in, it is just a matter of time that I go and spend some time on the ground and I think things will come out pretty well. “IPL is something I have really enjoyed and I would like to make a comeback very strong, just looking forward to it,” Pandya said. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will lock horns with three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

IPL 2020: 'The way I am hitting the ball...' - Hardik Pandya upbeat about his form

IPL 2020: Top 5 all-rounders to watchout for!

<p>Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his partner, Natasa Stankovic, have welcomed their first child – a baby boy as the couple took to social media platform to announce the happy news. Hardik posted a photograph of himself holding the hand of the newborn.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We are blessed with our baby boy,” Hardik wrote on photo-blogging Instagram.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-marnus-labuschagne-thriving-to-be-the-best-316956" hreflang="en">Exclusive | Marnus Labuschagne: Thriving to be the best</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQx8yCF-SX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQx8yCF-SX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQx8yCF-SX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQx8yCF-SX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">We are blessed with our baby boy ❤️🙏🏾</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hardikpandya93/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> (@hardikpandya93) on <time datetime="2020-07-30T10:03:58+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jul 30, 2020 at 3:03am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>As soon as Hardik announced the news of the birth of his first child, congratulatory messages poured in from everyone.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to the couple and a warm welcome to Pandya Jr. 👨‍👨‍👦 <a href="https://t.co/Dmbqm7OQAp">https://t.co/Dmbqm7OQAp</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1288791410640957441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations Brotherman ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> <a href="https://t.co/FG0CjjqGad">https://t.co/FG0CjjqGad</a></p>
— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) <a href="https://twitter.com/yuzi_chahal/status/1288787424563195904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations my brother <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> on the birth of your son! Lots of love to Natasa, the beautiful boy and you ❤️🤗 Hope everyone is healthy 😊 <a href="https://t.co/PPwsaSeMIM">https://t.co/PPwsaSeMIM</a></p>
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25/status/1288786646645616641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik had announced then news of Natasa’s pregnancy in Instagram on May 31 as he asked everyone to shower their blessings and well-wishes. On the same day, the flamboyant all-rounder had tied the knot with the Bollywood actress during lockdown. The couple got engaged in January 2002 and now they are set to become proud parents.</p>

<p>“Hardik and I have shared a memorable journey together so far and now, it’s only going to get better. Together, we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re super excited for this new step of our life together and humbly ask your blessings and well wishes,” Natasa had written on Instagram. The same pictures were also re-posted by Hardik on his Instagram page.</p>

<p>Hardik Pandya blessed with baby boy.Hardik Pandya blessed with baby boy. KEY HIGHLIGHTSHardik Pandya has been blessed with a baby boyThe Indian all-rounder had tied the knot with Natasa Stankovic during the lockdownThe couple had announced their engagement in January 2020</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Hardik has been away from international cricket since September 2019 due to a back injury. He was supposed to make a comeback to the Indian team against South Africa in March but the series was suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak. In October 2019, Hardik underwent a back surgery in London, which ruled him out for a couple of months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He made a comeback in the DY Patil Trophy and scored runs heavily in his blazing style while impressing the selectors. Hardik will next be seen in the IPL 2020 which is scheduled to take place in the UAE.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his partner, Natasa Stankovic, have welcomed their first child – a baby boy as the couple took to social media platform to announce the happy news.

Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his partner, Natasa Stankovic, have welcomed their first child – a baby boy as the couple took to social media platform to announce the happy news. Hardik posted a photograph of himself holding the hand of the newborn. “We are blessed with our baby boy,” Hardik wrote on photo-blogging Instagram. ALSO READ: Exclusive | Marnus Labuschagne: Thriving to be the best View this post on Instagram We are blessed with our baby boy ❤️🙏🏾 A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) on Jul 30, 2020 at 3:03am PDT × As soon as Hardik announced the news of the birth of his first child, congratulatory messages poured in from everyone. Congratulations to the couple and a warm welcome to Pandya Jr. 👨‍👨‍👦 https://t.co/Dmbqm7OQAp — BCCI (@BCCI) July 30, 2020 × Congratulations Brotherman ❤️ @hardikpandya7 https://t.co/FG0CjjqGad — Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) July 30, 2020 × Congratulations my brother @hardikpandya7 on the birth of your son! Lots of love to Natasa, the beautiful boy and you ❤️🤗 Hope everyone is healthy 😊 https://t.co/PPwsaSeMIM — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 30, 2020 × Hardik had announced then news of Natasa’s pregnancy in Instagram on May 31 as he asked everyone to shower their blessings and well-wishes. On the same day, the flamboyant all-rounder had tied the knot with the Bollywood actress during lockdown. The couple got engaged in January 2002 and now they are set to become proud parents. “Hardik and I have shared a memorable journey together so far and now, it’s only going to get better. Together, we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re super excited for this new step of our life together and humbly ask your blessings and well wishes,” Natasa had written on Instagram. The same pictures were also re-posted by Hardik on his Instagram page. Hardik Pandya blessed with baby boy.Hardik Pandya blessed with baby boy. KEY HIGHLIGHTSHardik Pandya has been blessed with a baby boyThe Indian all-rounder had tied the knot with Natasa Stankovic during the lockdownThe couple had announced their engagement in January 2020 Meanwhile, Hardik has been away from international cricket since September 2019 due to a back injury. He was supposed to make a comeback to the Indian team against South Africa in March but the series was suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak. In October 2019, Hardik underwent a back surgery in London, which ruled him out for a couple of months. He made a comeback in the DY Patil Trophy and scored runs heavily in his blazing style while impressing the selectors. Hardik will next be seen in the IPL 2020 which is scheduled to take place in the UAE.

Hardik Pandya, Natasa Stankovic blessed with a baby boy - See photograph

<p>Indian skipper Virat Kohli is known for his tough fitness regime. He maintained his workout schedule during coronavirus lockdown that has brought the sporting world to a screeching halt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen doing the 'fly pushups' and challenged his brother Krunal.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBqiH-EFPDc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBqiH-EFPDc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBqiH-EFPDc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBqiH-EFPDc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Stronger. Fitter. Still under construction 💪 @krunalpandya_official, I challenge you bhai! Let’s see how many you can do 😏 #PandyaBrothers</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hardikpandya93/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> (@hardikpandya93) on <time datetime="2020-06-20T17:03:26+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 20, 2020 at 10:03am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Virat, who has posted several photos and videos of his workout at home, took to Instagram Thursday and posted a video. In this video, Kohli was seen doing 'fly pushups' with a little twist in it, he added claps to his pushups to make the workout tough.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He wrote: "Hey H @hardikpandya7 loved your fly push-ups. Here's adding a little clap to it."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI3x9Yl8xu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI3x9Yl8xu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI3x9Yl8xu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI3x9Yl8xu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Hey H @hardikpandya93 loved your fly push ups 💪😎. Here's adding a little clap to it 😉.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/virat.kohli/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Virat Kohli</a> (@virat.kohli) on <time datetime="2020-07-02T11:49:57+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jul 2, 2020 at 4:49am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Australian batsman David Warner was impressed by Virat's workout and compared to Kohli's signature cover drive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was seen walking like a dinosaur in his house after his wife and Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma shared a video on Twitter, which went viral in no time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twitterati went on a laughing riot after witnessing Kohli in a new, hilarious avatar and came up with some rib-tickling memes on the Indian skipper. While thousands of likes and retweets followed, fans made sure they immortalize the moments by taking Kohli for a ride to the world of memes.</p>


Indian skipper Virat Kohli is known for his tough fitness regime. He maintained his workout schedule during coronavirus lockdown that has brought the sporting world to a screeching halt.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli is known for his tough fitness regime. He maintained his workout schedule during coronavirus lockdown that has brought the sporting world to a screeching halt. Last week, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen doing the 'fly pushups' and challenged his brother Krunal. View this post on Instagram Stronger. Fitter. Still under construction 💪 @krunalpandya_official, I challenge you bhai! Let’s see how many you can do 😏 #PandyaBrothers A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) on Jun 20, 2020 at 10:03am PDT × Virat, who has posted several photos and videos of his workout at home, took to Instagram Thursday and posted a video. In this video, Kohli was seen doing 'fly pushups' with a little twist in it, he added claps to his pushups to make the workout tough. He wrote: "Hey H @hardikpandya7 loved your fly push-ups. Here's adding a little clap to it." View this post on Instagram Hey H @hardikpandya93 loved your fly push ups 💪😎. Here's adding a little clap to it 😉. A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Jul 2, 2020 at 4:49am PDT × Australian batsman David Warner was impressed by Virat's workout and compared to Kohli's signature cover drive. Earlier, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was seen walking like a dinosaur in his house after his wife and Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma shared a video on Twitter, which went viral in no time. Twitterati went on a laughing riot after witnessing Kohli in a new, hilarious avatar and came up with some rib-tickling memes on the Indian skipper. While thousands of likes and retweets followed, fans made sure they immortalize the moments by taking Kohli for a ride to the world of memes.

Watch: Indian skipper Virat Kohli adds twist to Pandya's 'fly pushups'

<p>Ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is concerned about risking his injury-ravaged back for Test cricket, at the moment, as he said that he understands his “importance” in the limited-overs formats. Hardik last appeared in a Test match back in September 2018 but has been a vital cog in India’s white-ball circuits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik is of the view that playing Test cricket following his back surgery will be a challenge and is wary of risking his back in the longest format of the game. Hardik further added that playing Test cricket has drained him on many occasions after which he couldn’t perform up to his potential in white-ball cricket as energy is one of his traits. He also recalled how he felt his career was over after being stretchered off in the Asia Cup 2018 match against Pakistan.</p>

<p>"I see myself as a back-up seamer for sure. After my back surgery, I don't know, playing Test cricket right now will be a challenge," the 26-year-old told '<em>Cricbuzz in Conversation</em>'.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-vs-west-indies-ecb-announces-schedule-and-venues-for-3-match-test-series-302670" hreflang="en">England vs West Indies: ECB announces schedule and venues for 3-match Test series</a></strong></p>

<p>"If I was a Test player and didn't have the game in white-ball cricket, I could go now and risk my back in Tests but I know my importance in white-ball cricket.</p>

<p>"It has happened that I played Tests and then didn't do well in ODIs and T20s because my plus point is my energy," he explained.</p>

<p>Hardik’s first back injury came in 2018 when he was stretchered off the field during an Asia Cup match against Pakistan. The flamboyant all-rounder, recalling the incident, said he thought his career was over that day.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-bowler-plunkett-would-consider-playing-for-united-states-302656" hreflang="en">England bowler Plunkett would consider playing for United States</a></strong></p>

<p>"I genuinely thought that my career is over because I'd never seen anyone being stretchered off. I was knocked out for 10 minutes, after that the pain never went down.</p>

<p>"What happens to me is that my body goes into recovery mode straight away... Asia Cup was anyway going to be my last series before being rested but then the injury happened," he remembered.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is concerned about risking his injury-ravaged back for Test cricket, at the moment, as he said that he understands his “importance” in the limited-overs formats.

Ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is concerned about risking his injury-ravaged back for Test cricket, at the moment, as he said that he understands his “importance” in the limited-overs formats. Hardik last appeared in a Test match back in September 2018 but has been a vital cog in India’s white-ball circuits. Hardik is of the view that playing Test cricket following his back surgery will be a challenge and is wary of risking his back in the longest format of the game. Hardik further added that playing Test cricket has drained him on many occasions after which he couldn’t perform up to his potential in white-ball cricket as energy is one of his traits. He also recalled how he felt his career was over after being stretchered off in the Asia Cup 2018 match against Pakistan. "I see myself as a back-up seamer for sure. After my back surgery, I don't know, playing Test cricket right now will be a challenge," the 26-year-old told 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'. ALSO READ: England vs West Indies: ECB announces schedule and venues for 3-match Test series "If I was a Test player and didn't have the game in white-ball cricket, I could go now and risk my back in Tests but I know my importance in white-ball cricket. "It has happened that I played Tests and then didn't do well in ODIs and T20s because my plus point is my energy," he explained. Hardik’s first back injury came in 2018 when he was stretchered off the field during an Asia Cup match against Pakistan. The flamboyant all-rounder, recalling the incident, said he thought his career was over that day. ALSO READ: England bowler Plunkett would consider playing for United States "I genuinely thought that my career is over because I'd never seen anyone being stretchered off. I was knocked out for 10 minutes, after that the pain never went down. "What happens to me is that my body goes into recovery mode straight away... Asia Cup was anyway going to be my last series before being rested but then the injury happened," he remembered.

Hardik Pandya: Thought my career was over after being stretchered off vs Pakistan in 2018

<p>Amid the entire world coming to standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak, there’s good news in the lives of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his fiance, Serbian actress Natasa Stankovic. The couple is expecting their first child together.</p>

<p>The pregnancy news became viral as they shared pictures on Instagram and made the announcement. In one such picture, Natasa flaunts her baby bump while Hardik caresses the soon-to-be-mother.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sharing the news, Hardik wrote, “Natasa and I had a great journey together and it is just about to get better. Together we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re thrilled for this new phase of our life and seek your blessings and wishes.”</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2khRLFsAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2khRLFsAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2khRLFsAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2khRLFsAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Natasa and I have had a great journey together and it is just about to get better 😊 Together we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re thrilled for this new phase of our life and seek your blessings and wishes 🙏</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hardikpandya93/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> (@hardikpandya93) on <time datetime="2020-05-31T12:43:34+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 31, 2020 at 5:43am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>India’s head cricket coach Ravi Shastri was one of the first to wish the duo as he wrote,“Congratulations Hardy and Natasa.”</p>

<p>The Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli also wished the duo and wrote, “Congratulations to you both H. Lots of love and blessings for the third member of your clan.”</p>

<p>Others from his team also wrote congratulatory messages including from Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami.</p>

<p>Hardik had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hardik-pandya-announces-engagement-to-girlfriend-natasa-stankovic-posts-proposal-video-on-instagram-271547">announced his engagement</a> to Natasa earlier this year, on social media. On January 1, Hardik had shared an image of him proposing to Natasa on social media and had captioned it: “Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 01.01.2020 #engaged.”</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xrw7WlubB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xrw7WlubB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xrw7WlubB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xrw7WlubB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 👫💍 01.01.2020 ❤️ #engaged</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hardikpandya93/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> (@hardikpandya93) on <time datetime="2020-01-01T12:02:19+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 1, 2020 at 4:02am PST</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Amid the entire world coming to standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak, there’s good news in the lives of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his fiance, Serbian actress Natasa Stankovic.

Amid the entire world coming to standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak, there’s good news in the lives of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and his fiance, Serbian actress Natasa Stankovic. The couple is expecting their first child together. The pregnancy news became viral as they shared pictures on Instagram and made the announcement. In one such picture, Natasa flaunts her baby bump while Hardik caresses the soon-to-be-mother. Sharing the news, Hardik wrote, “Natasa and I had a great journey together and it is just about to get better. Together we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re thrilled for this new phase of our life and seek your blessings and wishes.” View this post on Instagram Natasa and I have had a great journey together and it is just about to get better 😊 Together we are excited to welcome a new life into our lives very soon. We’re thrilled for this new phase of our life and seek your blessings and wishes 🙏 A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) on May 31, 2020 at 5:43am PDT × India’s head cricket coach Ravi Shastri was one of the first to wish the duo as he wrote,“Congratulations Hardy and Natasa.” The Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli also wished the duo and wrote, “Congratulations to you both H. Lots of love and blessings for the third member of your clan.” Others from his team also wrote congratulatory messages including from Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami. Hardik had announced his engagement to Natasa earlier this year, on social media. On January 1, Hardik had shared an image of him proposing to Natasa on social media and had captioned it: “Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 01.01.2020 #engaged.” View this post on Instagram Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 👫💍 01.01.2020 ❤️ #engaged A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) on Jan 1, 2020 at 4:02am PST ×

Hardika Pandya and fiance Natasa expecting first child; check out pictures of the couple

<p>Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – on Sunday posted a video of them playing indoor cricket as entire India continues to be in a 21-day lockdown period. The Pandya brothers were supposed to be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 for Mumbai Indians, however, amid the COVID-19 pandemic the cash-rich tournament was postponed until April 15 from its scheduled date of March 29.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Krunal Pandya took to social media platform Twitter to post the video in which the duo is seen giving a heartfelt message at the end of the video. “We can have fun indoors too Please stay home and be safe everyone @hardikpandya7,” Krunal captioned the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Stay safe everyone. Avoid going out, you can have fun indoors as well just like me and my family had. We urge everyone to observe lockdown and stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Pandya brothers said at the end of the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-to-be-held-from-july-23-august-8-in-2021-as-organisers-announce-new-dates-289490">Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23-August 8 in 2021 as organisers announce new dates</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We can have fun indoors too Please stay home and be safe everyone <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> <a href="https://t.co/bje9m5n99j">pic.twitter.com/bje9m5n99j</a></p>
— Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya24) <a href="https://twitter.com/krunalpandya24/status/1244284776653053953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Hardik, who was in red-hot form before his international comeback, was named in the Indian team before the first ODI was abandoned due to rain. The series was eventually aborted due to novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-confirms-barcelona-players-will-take-70-wage-cut-and-contribute-to-club-employees-salary-amid-covid-19-pandemic-289485" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi confirms Barcelona players will take 70% wage cut and contribute to club employees' salary amid COVID-19 pandemic</a></strong></p>

<p>The South African team was sent back to their country on an immediate basis with Indian players returning to their respective residences.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, it is highly likely that IPL 2020 will also be scrapped this season amid COVID-19 pandemic. While there has no official update regarding the cancellation of IPL 2020, it is likely that the season will be scrapped with no mega auction next season.</p>

<p>All the major sporting events and leagues have been cancelled or postponed amid COVID-19 pandemic. Even the Tokyo Olympics have been moved to 2021 with the organisers picking July 23 to August 8, 2021 being the revised dates for the Games.</p>


Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – on Sunday posted a video of them playing indoor cricket as entire India continues to be in a 21-day lockdown period. The Pandya brothers were supposed to be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 for Mumbai Indians, however, amid the COVID-19 pandemic the cash-rich tournament was postponed until April 15 from its scheduled date of March 29.

Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – on Sunday posted a video of them playing indoor cricket as entire India continues to be in a 21-day lockdown period. The Pandya brothers were supposed to be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 for Mumbai Indians, however, amid the COVID-19 pandemic the cash-rich tournament was postponed until April 15 from its scheduled date of March 29. Krunal Pandya took to social media platform Twitter to post the video in which the duo is seen giving a heartfelt message at the end of the video. “We can have fun indoors too Please stay home and be safe everyone @hardikpandya7,” Krunal captioned the video. “Stay safe everyone. Avoid going out, you can have fun indoors as well just like me and my family had. We urge everyone to observe lockdown and stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Pandya brothers said at the end of the video. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23-August 8 in 2021 as organisers announce new dates We can have fun indoors too Please stay home and be safe everyone @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/bje9m5n99j — Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya24) March 29, 2020 × Hardik, who was in red-hot form before his international comeback, was named in the Indian team before the first ODI was abandoned due to rain. The series was eventually aborted due to novel coronavirus outbreak in the country. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi confirms Barcelona players will take 70% wage cut and contribute to club employees' salary amid COVID-19 pandemic The South African team was sent back to their country on an immediate basis with Indian players returning to their respective residences. Meanwhile, it is highly likely that IPL 2020 will also be scrapped this season amid COVID-19 pandemic. While there has no official update regarding the cancellation of IPL 2020, it is likely that the season will be scrapped with no mega auction next season. All the major sporting events and leagues have been cancelled or postponed amid COVID-19 pandemic. Even the Tokyo Olympics have been moved to 2021 with the organisers picking July 23 to August 8, 2021 being the revised dates for the Games.

WATCH: Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya play indoor cricket amid 21-day lock down due to COVID-19 pandemic

<p>With the entire sporting calendar getting ripped into pieces due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the athletes have been restricted to remain in their houses and not get involved in public events. For the Indian cricket team and it's players, the month of March, April, May or for that matter, the entire 2020 was supposed to be jam-packed but the COVID-19 outbreak has shattered every plan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Indian players continue to remain off the field due to coronavirus outbreak, Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer were seen having a bit of fun in their residence. Iyer took to social media platform Twitter to post a couple of photographs and a video in which the flamboyant batsman posted some fun banter and behind the scene scenario from the first photograph in which Iyer is seen flexing a luxurious wristwatch.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coronavirus-pandemic-bcci-looking-to-conduct-ipl-2020-in-july-september-window-287140">Coronavirus pandemic: BCCI looking to conduct IPL 2020 in July-September window</a></strong></p>

<p>In the second photograph, it is revealed that the luxurious wristwatch is of Hardik and the third and final clip of the series is the behind the scenes video where the duo is seen working out the photograph.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B91jrMrJN_o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B91jrMrJN_o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B91jrMrJN_o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B91jrMrJN_o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Expectation vs Reality.... Swipe left @hardikpandya93</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shreyas41/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Shreyas Iyer</a> (@shreyas41) on <time datetime="2020-03-17T13:42:46+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 17, 2020 at 6:42am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Reacting to Hardik and Iyer's camaraderie, KL Rahul was quick to remind the duo about health advisory as he commented: "Guys, wash your hands."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-will-ms-dhoni-fit-in-virender-sehwag-wants-team-india-to-continue-with-kl-rahul-and-rishabh-pant-287132">'Where will MS Dhoni fit in?' - Virender Sehwag wants Team India to continue with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, the ODI series between India and South Africa was abandoned mid-way due to the COVID-19 pandemic whereas the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 was suspended until April 15. Almost every major sporting tournaments have been either postponed or cancelled given the current situation surrounding the novel coronavirus.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


With the entire sporting calendar getting ripped into pieces due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the athletes have been restricted to remain in their houses and not get involved in public events.

With the entire sporting calendar getting ripped into pieces due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the athletes have been restricted to remain in their houses and not get involved in public events. For the Indian cricket team and it's players, the month of March, April, May or for that matter, the entire 2020 was supposed to be jam-packed but the COVID-19 outbreak has shattered every plan. While Indian players continue to remain off the field due to coronavirus outbreak, Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer were seen having a bit of fun in their residence. Iyer took to social media platform Twitter to post a couple of photographs and a video in which the flamboyant batsman posted some fun banter and behind the scene scenario from the first photograph in which Iyer is seen flexing a luxurious wristwatch. ALSO READ: Coronavirus pandemic: BCCI looking to conduct IPL 2020 in July-September window In the second photograph, it is revealed that the luxurious wristwatch is of Hardik and the third and final clip of the series is the behind the scenes video where the duo is seen working out the photograph. View this post on Instagram Expectation vs Reality.... Swipe left @hardikpandya93 A post shared by Shreyas Iyer (@shreyas41) on Mar 17, 2020 at 6:42am PDT × Reacting to Hardik and Iyer's camaraderie, KL Rahul was quick to remind the duo about health advisory as he commented: "Guys, wash your hands." ALSO READ: 'Where will MS Dhoni fit in?' - Virender Sehwag wants Team India to continue with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant Meanwhile, the ODI series between India and South Africa was abandoned mid-way due to the COVID-19 pandemic whereas the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 was suspended until April 15. Almost every major sporting tournaments have been either postponed or cancelled given the current situation surrounding the novel coronavirus.

'Guys, wash your hands' - KL Rahul reminds Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya about health advisory on coronavirus

<p>With India-South Africa series, ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be making his comeback to the cricket field in the international circuit after remaining sidelined due to a lower back injury for quite a few months. Hardik, who displayed scintillating form in the recently concluded DY Patil T20 Cup, where the flamboyant all-rounder smashed a couple of blistering centuries to take the cricketing circuit by storm. After proving his fitness in the T20 tournament, Hardik was named in the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa starting from March 12 in Dharamsala.</p>

<p>Hardik was supposed to make his comeback in India 'A' tour of New Zealand, where the right-handed all-rounder was named in the squad, however, he failed the fitness test and Vijay Shankar was sent as a replacement. Now, Hardik has revealed that it was a mental challenge for him to come back to full fitness due to the number of injuries and setbacks he was having before and after the ICC World Cup 2019.</p>

<p>Hardik said that he missed the dressing room atmosphere while he was out injured in the last six months while adding the feeling of playing for the country and donning the Team India jersey is unmatchable. However, the 26-year-old all-rounder said that he is glad to overcome the setbacks and is now gearing up for hitting the right chords for Team India, on the cricket field.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I missed this atmosphere the most in these last six months, playing for the country and the feeling you get wearing the team’s colours,” Hardik told teammate Yuzvendra Chahal in an interview posted on BCCI's official website.</p>

<h2><strong>"A mental challenge and there were a lot of setbacks"</strong></h2>

<p>“That had become a mental challenge and there were a lot of setbacks. I was trying to get back to full fitness quickly but that did not work out and a lot of mental pressure came at the time. But touchwood, everything went fine, the rehabilitation went well and a lot of people helped me,” he added.</p>

<p>Hardik's form in DY Patil T20 Cup was surreal. The flamboyant all-rounder smoked sixes for fun and piled misery on the opposition bowlers. For the ace all-rounder, going back to the field and practice in match situation was important to regain confidence. However, Hardik joked that he never thought of hitting 20 sixes in an innings while adding he enjoyed batting in the tournament.</p>

<p>"It was important. I had not played anything for six and a half months. I wanted to make an international comeback so it was very important for my confidence. No matter how much you practice, the match situation is always different," said Pandya when asked about DY Patil Cup performance."</p>

<p>“So I just kept on playing, my confidence kept improving and the sixes were coming off well. I thought if they are coming off well, why should I stop and I kept going. But I never thought that I want to hit 20 sixes in an innings,” he added.</p>

<p>Hardik's fitness and form will be crucial to Team India's hopes of lifting the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October 2020.&nbsp;</p>


With India-South Africa series, ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be making his comeback to the cricket field in the international circuit after remaining sidelined due to a lower back injury for quite a few months.

With India-South Africa series, ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be making his comeback to the cricket field in the international circuit after remaining sidelined due to a lower back injury for quite a few months. Hardik, who displayed scintillating form in the recently concluded DY Patil T20 Cup, where the flamboyant all-rounder smashed a couple of blistering centuries to take the cricketing circuit by storm. After proving his fitness in the T20 tournament, Hardik was named in the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa starting from March 12 in Dharamsala. Hardik was supposed to make his comeback in India 'A' tour of New Zealand, where the right-handed all-rounder was named in the squad, however, he failed the fitness test and Vijay Shankar was sent as a replacement. Now, Hardik has revealed that it was a mental challenge for him to come back to full fitness due to the number of injuries and setbacks he was having before and after the ICC World Cup 2019. Hardik said that he missed the dressing room atmosphere while he was out injured in the last six months while adding the feeling of playing for the country and donning the Team India jersey is unmatchable. However, the 26-year-old all-rounder said that he is glad to overcome the setbacks and is now gearing up for hitting the right chords for Team India, on the cricket field. "I missed this atmosphere the most in these last six months, playing for the country and the feeling you get wearing the team’s colours,” Hardik told teammate Yuzvendra Chahal in an interview posted on BCCI's official website. "A mental challenge and there were a lot of setbacks" “That had become a mental challenge and there were a lot of setbacks. I was trying to get back to full fitness quickly but that did not work out and a lot of mental pressure came at the time. But touchwood, everything went fine, the rehabilitation went well and a lot of people helped me,” he added. Hardik's form in DY Patil T20 Cup was surreal. The flamboyant all-rounder smoked sixes for fun and piled misery on the opposition bowlers. For the ace all-rounder, going back to the field and practice in match situation was important to regain confidence. However, Hardik joked that he never thought of hitting 20 sixes in an innings while adding he enjoyed batting in the tournament. "It was important. I had not played anything for six and a half months. I wanted to make an international comeback so it was very important for my confidence. No matter how much you practice, the match situation is always different," said Pandya when asked about DY Patil Cup performance." “So I just kept on playing, my confidence kept improving and the sixes were coming off well. I thought if they are coming off well, why should I stop and I kept going. But I never thought that I want to hit 20 sixes in an innings,” he added. Hardik's fitness and form will be crucial to Team India's hopes of lifting the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October 2020.

India vs South Africa: Rehabilitation and setbacks became a mental challenge, reveals Hardik Pandya

<p>Hardik Pandya's eagerly-awaited international comeback adds a lot of context to India's three-match ODI campaign against South Africa starting Thursday where the hosts would be aiming to put the 'New Zealand Nightmare' behind them.</p>

<p>Amid the ever-rising danger of Novel Coronavirus and threat of rain once again playing spoilsport, Pandya's all-round flamboyance will keep skipper Virat Kohli in a good headspace as he would be desperately trying to forget the 0-3 mauling in the last series in New Zealand.</p>

<p>Pandya last played an ODI against New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in Manchester and his last international game was a T20 against the Proteas in Bengaluru in September last year.He forced his way back into the national team with his all-round performances at the DY Patil Corporate Cup, where he looked completely fit and ready to go.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/latest-sports-news-india-fined-by-international-cricket-council-for-slow-over-rate-in-t20i-final-against-new-zealand-278348">India fined by International Cricket Council for slow over-rate in T20I final against New Zealand</a></strong></p>

<p>Skipper Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri has spoken openly about ODIs being least of priority in a World T20 year. But his men can ill-afford to lose another series against an inexperienced South African side which is buoyed after crushing Australia 3-0 in their own den.</p>

<p>Especially having lost five international games (two Tests included) on trot, the Indian skipper, enduring one of his rarest of rare bad patches in last six years will be keen to buck the trend.</p>

<p>Kohli managed just 75 runs against the Kiwis, and going by his standards the Indian skipper would be itching to silence his critics, who have raised eyebrows after his statement on ODIs not having context in the current calendar.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ahead-of-world-cup-clash-india-cricket-coach-ravi-shastri-trolled-on-twitter-224449">Ahead of World Cup clash, India cricket coach Ravi Shastri trolled on Twitter</a></strong></p>

<p>The presence of Pandya along with a fit-again senior opener Shikhar Dhawan (shoulder dislocation) and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (sports hernia surgery) makes India favourite on paper against a South African side that comprises of seasoned campaigners like Quinton d Kock, Faf du Plessis and David Miller in their ranks.</p>

<p>The three players automatically pick themselves in the playing XI while Manish Pandey might just get a longer run at No 6 now that Kedar Jadhav has finally been dropped from the squad.</p>

<p>In the absence of Rohit Sharma, who is yet to recover from a calf injury, Dhawan's return would lend valuable experience to the Indian top-order, which badly missed both the openers in New Zealand, Dhawan had dislocated his shoulder during the final ODI against Australia at home and missed the New Zealand series.</p>

<p>Bhuvneshwar's return will give India good depth during the slog overs where Shardul THakur had seemed completely misfit.</p>

<p>Mohammed Shami has been rested for the series after getting a blow on his shoulder in the second Test in New Zealand.Ravindra Jadeja is expected to be the lone spinning option on a seamer-friendly Dharamsala track unless team management feels the urge to include Kuldeep Yadav in the team.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tamim-iqbal-to-lead-bangladesh-in-odis-mortaza-and-shakib-dropped-from-centrally-contracted-players-list-285179">Tamim Iqbal to lead Bangladesh in ODIs, Mortaza and Shakib dropped from centrally contracted players' list</a></p>

<p>South Africa, on the other hand, are coming into the tour brimming with confidence after whitewashing Australia in the three-ODI series. Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen, who were rested for the ODIs against Australia, are part of South Africa's touring party.</p>

<p>Since quitting as captain, du Plessis has not had a good run and would like to do the course correction in his most preferred format. Heinrich Klaasen and Kyle Verreynne, both of whom played crucial roles in South Africa's ODI series win over Australia, would look to carry on their form in India while Temba Bavuma, who suffered a hamstring strain and missed the last two ODIs against Australia, has also returned.</p>

<p>Janneman Malan earned his maiden India tour call as the 16th member of the squad after his match-winning ton in the second ODI against Australia.</p>

<p>This will be South Africa's maiden ODI at this venue while India have played four ODIs here, losing two and winning two. The side batting second has won three of the four contests at the ground. The second and third ODIs will be held at Lucknow (March 15) and Kolkata (March 18).</p>

<p>Teams (from):</p>

<p>India: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.</p>

<p>South Africa: Quinton de Kock (C), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Verreynne, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan David Miller, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Anrich Nortje, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj.</p>


Hardik Pandya's eagerly-awaited international comeback adds a lot of context to India's three-match ODI campaign against South Africa starting Thursday where the hosts would be aiming to put the 'New Zealand Nightmare' behind them.

Hardik Pandya's eagerly-awaited international comeback adds a lot of context to India's three-match ODI campaign against South Africa starting Thursday where the hosts would be aiming to put the 'New Zealand Nightmare' behind them. Amid the ever-rising danger of Novel Coronavirus and threat of rain once again playing spoilsport, Pandya's all-round flamboyance will keep skipper Virat Kohli in a good headspace as he would be desperately trying to forget the 0-3 mauling in the last series in New Zealand. Pandya last played an ODI against New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in Manchester and his last international game was a T20 against the Proteas in Bengaluru in September last year.He forced his way back into the national team with his all-round performances at the DY Patil Corporate Cup, where he looked completely fit and ready to go. Also Read: India fined by International Cricket Council for slow over-rate in T20I final against New Zealand Skipper Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri has spoken openly about ODIs being least of priority in a World T20 year. But his men can ill-afford to lose another series against an inexperienced South African side which is buoyed after crushing Australia 3-0 in their own den. Especially having lost five international games (two Tests included) on trot, the Indian skipper, enduring one of his rarest of rare bad patches in last six years will be keen to buck the trend. Kohli managed just 75 runs against the Kiwis, and going by his standards the Indian skipper would be itching to silence his critics, who have raised eyebrows after his statement on ODIs not having context in the current calendar. Also Read: Ahead of World Cup clash, India cricket coach Ravi Shastri trolled on Twitter The presence of Pandya along with a fit-again senior opener Shikhar Dhawan (shoulder dislocation) and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (sports hernia surgery) makes India favourite on paper against a South African side that comprises of seasoned campaigners like Quinton d Kock, Faf du Plessis and David Miller in their ranks. The three players automatically pick themselves in the playing XI while Manish Pandey might just get a longer run at No 6 now that Kedar Jadhav has finally been dropped from the squad. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, who is yet to recover from a calf injury, Dhawan's return would lend valuable experience to the Indian top-order, which badly missed both the openers in New Zealand, Dhawan had dislocated his shoulder during the final ODI against Australia at home and missed the New Zealand series. Bhuvneshwar's return will give India good depth during the slog overs where Shardul THakur had seemed completely misfit. Mohammed Shami has been rested for the series after getting a blow on his shoulder in the second Test in New Zealand.Ravindra Jadeja is expected to be the lone spinning option on a seamer-friendly Dharamsala track unless team management feels the urge to include Kuldeep Yadav in the team. Also Read: Tamim Iqbal to lead Bangladesh in ODIs, Mortaza and Shakib dropped from centrally contracted players' list South Africa, on the other hand, are coming into the tour brimming with confidence after whitewashing Australia in the three-ODI series. Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen, who were rested for the ODIs against Australia, are part of South Africa's touring party. Since quitting as captain, du Plessis has not had a good run and would like to do the course correction in his most preferred format. Heinrich Klaasen and Kyle Verreynne, both of whom played crucial roles in South Africa's ODI series win over Australia, would look to carry on their form in India while Temba Bavuma, who suffered a hamstring strain and missed the last two ODIs against Australia, has also returned. Janneman Malan earned his maiden India tour call as the 16th member of the squad after his match-winning ton in the second ODI against Australia. This will be South Africa's maiden ODI at this venue while India have played four ODIs here, losing two and winning two. The side batting second has won three of the four contests at the ground. The second and third ODIs will be held at Lucknow (March 15) and Kolkata (March 18). Teams (from): India: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. South Africa: Quinton de Kock (C), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Verreynne, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan David Miller, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Anrich Nortje, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj.

Hardik adds balance, India ready for fresh start against Proteas

<p>India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sunil-joshi-named-selection-committee-chairman-harvinder-added-to-panel-284269" hreflang="en">BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel</a></p>

<p>The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series. Sunil Joshi-led selector panel has picked the team for the first time.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-beat-india-by-7-wickets-tour-ends-with-consecutive-whitewash-283620">New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets, tour ends with consecutive whitewash</a></p>

<p>India's prolific all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back in the squad, he will be making his comeback after he proved his mettle after explosively smashing 46, 105, 38 and 158* in his tenure in the DY Patil T20 tournament. He missed out on action after the 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> for 3-match ODI series against SA - Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. <a href="https://t.co/HD53LRAhoh">pic.twitter.com/HD53LRAhoh</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1236586602677198848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will be coming back after regaining their fitness post injuries.</p>

<p>Rohit Sharma, however, will not be a part of the series as he picked up a calf injury during the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. He is likely to make a comeback in the IPL where he will be leading his side Mumbai Indians.</p>

<p><strong>India squad:</strong> Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.</p>

<p>Earlier, Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the drubbing in New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series.</p>


India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18. Also read: BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series.

India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18. Also read: BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series. Sunil Joshi-led selector panel has picked the team for the first time. Also read: New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets, tour ends with consecutive whitewash India's prolific all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back in the squad, he will be making his comeback after he proved his mettle after explosively smashing 46, 105, 38 and 158* in his tenure in the DY Patil T20 tournament. He missed out on action after the 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October. #TeamIndia for 3-match ODI series against SA - Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. pic.twitter.com/HD53LRAhoh — BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2020 × Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will be coming back after regaining their fitness post injuries. Rohit Sharma, however, will not be a part of the series as he picked up a calf injury during the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. He is likely to make a comeback in the IPL where he will be leading his side Mumbai Indians. India squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. Earlier, Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the drubbing in New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series.

BCCI announces 15-man squad for ODI series against South Africa

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../ind-vs-nz-sanju-samson-and-prithvi-shaw-get- place-in-team-squad-pandya-fails-fitness-test-275855">Hardik Pandya</a>'s international comeback has been stalled for some more time. The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that India's prolific all-rounder has still not recovered completely.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-premier-league-2020-to-bring-in-new-third-umpire-and-concussion-rule-bcci-277000" hreflang="en">Indian Premier League 2020 to bring in new third umpire and concussion rule - BCCI</a></p>

<p>The 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October. He is currently training in the NCA (National Cricket Academy) under Rahul Dravid. News had come early on that he hasn't passed the fitness test, which led to his ousting from the Indian Squad for the T20I and the ODI series. But now it is official that Pandya will not play in the complete tour.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-defeat-new-zealand-in-second-t20i-rahul-iyer-shine-276693" hreflang="en">India defeat New Zealand in second T20I: Rahul, Iyer shine</a></p>

<p>He was initially picked for India 'A' to play against the Kiwis. &nbsp;But Sourav Ganguly told the reporters: "Hardik is not fit. He is undergoing training at NCA to get back to full fitness. There is no question of him playing even domestic games at the moment,".</p>

<p>Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian squad for the home series against South Africa&nbsp;is to be selected. The selection will be made by new selectors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India are&nbsp;currently leading the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand (2-0). The T20I series will be followed 3-match ODI series, and then the tour will two Test matches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Hardik Pandya's international comeback has been stalled for some more time. The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that India's prolific all-rounder has still not recovered completely.

Hardik Pandya's international comeback has been stalled for some more time. The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that India's prolific all-rounder has still not recovered completely. Also read: Indian Premier League 2020 to bring in new third umpire and concussion rule - BCCI The 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October. He is currently training in the NCA (National Cricket Academy) under Rahul Dravid. News had come early on that he hasn't passed the fitness test, which led to his ousting from the Indian Squad for the T20I and the ODI series. But now it is official that Pandya will not play in the complete tour. Also read: India defeat New Zealand in second T20I: Rahul, Iyer shine He was initially picked for India 'A' to play against the Kiwis. But Sourav Ganguly told the reporters: "Hardik is not fit. He is undergoing training at NCA to get back to full fitness. There is no question of him playing even domestic games at the moment,". Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series. Indian squad for the home series against South Africa is to be selected. The selection will be made by new selectors. India are currently leading the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand (2-0). The T20I series will be followed 3-match ODI series, and then the tour will two Test matches.

'Hardik Pandya not fit for Test match against New Zealand': Sourav Ganguly

hardik-pandya

Hardik Pandya, News on Hardik Pandya, stories on Hardik Pandya, articles on Hardik Pandya, Hardik Pandya stories at Wion, Hardik Pandya news, Hardik Pandya latest news