Picture Credit: Twitter
India clinched an entertaining victory win in the marquee game against Pakistan to kick off their Asia Cup campaign. All-rounder Hardik Pandya guided the team to a fantastic five-wicket win. The 28-year-old smashed a quickfire 17-ball 33 runs along with his three-wicket bowling spell where he gave away 25 runs.
The world showered praises on Hardik Pandya but one cricket fan from Afghanistan went viral for his over-the-top celebration. A video has been making the rounds on the internet where an Afghan fan celebrated India's win by 'kissing' Hardik Pandya on his television screen. He was incredibly pumped and excited by the win registered by India and was especially impressed with Hardik's performance.
This victory holds special importance for the Indian team as they suffered their first-ever defeat against Pakistan in an ICC World Cup last year. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, the Pakistanis registered a towering 10-wicket win to break their 29-year streak.
Check out the video here:
Reacting to this win, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised the team for showing belief as they were in a precarious position at the halfway point of the chase, he went ahead and praised Hardik Pandya for his all-around performance which lead to this memorable victory.
He said, “Halfway through the chase, we still knew that we can win irrespective of the situation. We had the belief and when you have that belief, these things can happen. It's about giving clarity to the guys so that they know their roles well.”
“It was a bit challenging but I'll take wins like this any day over usual victories. Yes, they (India's pace bowling) have come a long way in the last year or so and they have adapted well to different situations. Since the time he (Hardik) has made his comeback, he's been brilliant.”
