Hardik Pandya: The six hitting machine from Baroda

Young all-rounder Hardik Pandya is the latest sensation of the Men in Blue. His career statistics are decent but the value he adds to the limited overs setup is way beyond the numbers. His fearless style of batting has impressed many and looks to augur well for the side going forward.

Pandya took India out of a peculiar position in the first ODI against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Coming into bat in the 22nd over when his side was tottering at 87 for 5, Pandya turned the heat on the visitors by playing brazenly. He took a special liking to leg-spinner Adam Zampa in the 37th over. The all-rounder took 24 runs of that over which included a hattrick of sixes, all disappearing over long on. The audacity of the youngster was applauded by the pundits.

He weathered the storm and played sedately to accumulate 35 from 45 balls. After the Zampa over, the right-hander quickly moved on to 58 off just 50 balls. He struck two more sixes and in quest of a sixth one, the 23-year old succumbed to Adam Zampa for a blistering 66-ball 83.

Unique feat for Pandya

Incidentally, this wasn’t the first time Pandya collected a hattrick of sixes. In ODIs, this was the third time the Baroda boy managed to achieve the feat. And this has happened in the last four months. The first set was achieved against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy group game when he smashed Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes in the final over of the innings. He gave the same treatment to Shadab Khan two weeks later on course to a magical 43-ball 76 in the finals. Pandya, now, has become only the fourth player since the turn of the millennium to hit a hattrick of sixes three times. Top of the pile is AB de Villiers followed by Chris Gayle and Sanath Jayasuriya. The succinct aspect about Pandya is that he has done that in space of just four months.

If Test cricket is included, Pandya draws level with de Villiers as the all-rounder had hit another set of 3 sixes in the Test series in Sri Lanka en route his maiden Test hundred which was also his first of his professional career.

Pandya has a bright future ahead of him. His six hitting prowess is second to none. His bat swing and sense of timing are exceptional.