Gautam Gambhir to Hardik Pandya - ‘Kaha aim kar rahe ho?’ India all-rounder’s response stuns head coach and teammates

Hardik Pandya offered a sneak peek of what is hopefully in store for India against New Zealand in the T20I series starting Wednesday in Nagpur. The all-rounder, back fresh into the squad after enjoying his time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, is gearing up for India’s last series before the T20 World Cup. And if the indications are anything to go by, fireworks are in order. During India’s net session, as the Indian batters took to the crease, Hardik stood out because of his self-confidence. Practising his wide range of shots, Hardik put on a six-hitting display to impress his teammates and the head coach.

A video uploaded by the BCCI summed up Pandya’s supreme confidence. Hardik looked at some of the folks who were sitting in the empty stands, and immediately sounded them out, “Get away from there”. Why? Because that’s where he was targeting his sixes. After Gautam Gambhir asked him, “Tum kaha aim kar rahe ho? North Wing? (Where do you intend to hit?) Hardik’s answer was “On the first tier”.

Watch the clip:

The stage was set, and the way Hardik connected had everyone glued to the ball. As the result was awaited, captain Suryakumar Yadav told Shivam Dube, “Abbe second tier pe maar diya? (He struck it long enough into the second tier), leaving Gambhir laughing. The proceedings then went on, with Dube, Surya, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan all hitting them big, while Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Hardik himself went through the paces with the ball.

India needs a big boost after the ODI squad suffered a tough defeat in the New Zealand T20Is. With the T20 World Cup 17 days away, there’s no room for errors. India has been hit by a few injury concerns, with Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma getting ruled out. They have called reinforcements in the form of Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi. While their status for the T20 World Cup remains unknown, defending champions India would be banking on their well-oiled squad to ensure they don’t stumble on their road to the World Cup.

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