Hardik continues show, slams 55-ball 158 in DY Patil T20 Cup

Navi Mumbai, March 6 (IANS): Hardik Pandya continued his destructive form on return from injury as he slammed a 55-ball 158 for Reliance 1 against BPCL in the semi-final of the 16th DY Patil T20 Cup at the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday.

Days after smashing 105 off just 39 balls, fit-again Hardik tonked 20 massive sixes and hit six fours in his blitzkrieg which entertained the crowd who had turned up to see the likes of him, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shreyas Iyer among others.

Reliance 1 rode Hardik’s pyrotechnics to reach 238.

Hardik underwent a surgery after suffering a lower-back injury five months ago and has since been on a road to recovery. He could not be fit in time for the New Zealand tour but started bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after returning from a check-up in UK.

After smashing 105 against CAG in a Group C encounter few days ago, he had said: “It’s fantastic (platform) for someone like me. I have been away for almost six months. This is my second game after a long time. For me it is a good platform to see where I am currently and test my body. I am really happy with the way things have gone,” Hardik said on DY Patil Sports Academy Facebook page.

On his big-hitting prowess, the 26-year old added: “If it’s there in my arc I just back myself and go for it. Most of the times, it comes out pretty well. There is no plan that I am going to go out there and smash it.”