IPL 2019: Sachin Tendulkar praises Hardik Pandya's 'truly outstanding' hitting

The game of cricket can be cruel sometimes and Hardik Pandya would probably agree to it. The way he batted against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, he deserved to be on the winning side. However, Kolkata Knight Riders managed to see off his breathtaking onslaught with the bat to beat Mumbai Indians by 34 runs and keep their playoffs alive. The win also helped the Knight Riders end their eight-match losing streak against Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first completely backfired as the Knight Riders scored 232 for 2 – their highest-ever total against Mumbai Indians and also the highest total of this season. Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill set the tone for the Knight Riders by adding 96 runs inside ten overs for the first wicket. The partnership ended when Lynn departed after a stroke-filled knock of 54. Andre Russell then took over from there while Gill was also going great guns. Gill was the next to fall after scoring 76 while Russell remained unbeaten on 80 from just 40 balls.

In reply, Mumbai Indians were very much out of the contest after being four down for just 58 runs in the ninth over. However, Hardik Pandya was not ready to throw in the towel yet as he launched a stunning assault with his willow. The all-rounder raced away to the fastest fifty of the season, reaching the milestone in just 17 balls to revive the chase which looked dead and buried not very long ago. But Pandya’s breathtaking knock could not guide Mumbai home as he departed in the 18th over after slamming 91. The 34-ball assault contained six fours and 9 huge sixes.

Praise from the maestro:

Following the game, legendary Sachin Tendulkar lavished praise on Pandya, calling his innings ‘truly outstanding’. Sachin also lamented the lack of support for Pandya from the other end as he tweeted:

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“Truly outstanding hitting from @hardikpandya7, but unfortunately he didn’t get enough support from the rest of the team. Congratulations to @KKRiders for a very convincing victory.”

Truly outstanding hitting from @hardikpandya7, but unfortunately he didn’t get enough support from the rest of the team. Congratulations to @KKRiders for a very convincing victory.

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 28, 2019

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