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Hardik Pandya for India - (Source: X.Com)
On Friday, January 23, India locked horns against New Zealand in the 2nd of a five-match series in Raipur. The Men in Blue were fresh off a win in the curtain raiser game. For the 2nd T20I, the Men in Blue registered a comfortable seven-wicket win to lead the series 2-0.
Notably, Kiwis, batting first, went all guns blazing and put 208 runs on the board. In reply, India lost two quick wickets, but Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav rose to fame and stitched a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket to help India register a comfortable win. The match was a full-on entertainer, and the crowd enjoyed every bit of it.
There were boundaries, wickets, and intense moments that got the crowd out of their seats. Talking about entertainment, Hardik Pandya comes first to mind, and the MI captain ensured the same in Raipur. Pandya was the talk of the town, and several fans flocked in to see their idol bat. Unfortunately, Pandya didn’t get to bat, but got the fans excited with his bowling.
Pandya bowled three overs and registered the figures of 1/25. The right-arm seamer took the crucial wicket of Mark Chapman. However, the 32-year-old was animated throughout the innings and leaned towards his aggressive side as well. Notably, a video has gone viral, in which Pandya nearly got Zakary Foulkes out, but then followed a chain of reaction, abusive slurs, and also a disappointment with himself.
Hardik Pandya abuses Zakary Foulkes in a viral clip
In the clip, which has now gone viral on social media, Pandya was caught abusing Foulkes and then grabbed his sweater from the umpire and made an angry walk back to his fielding position. Even while walking back, Pandya lost his temper and blabbered stuff in frustration.
The video has spread like fire on social media, and there are chances that the clip also reaches the match referee’s table. Therefore, Pandya fears a match fee fine and may also face a potential demerit point for his action and unnecessary aggression, an offense for which Pandya has been guilty in the past.
Pandya is in angry mode even before the start of the 2nd T20I
For the unversed, Pandya was upset with something even before the start of the 2nd T20I, as he was caught arguing with former India cricketer turned presenter Murali Karthik as he walked for practice.
He had an angry exchange of words with commentator Murali Kartik and it all began when Hardik walked out of the pavilion for a practice session before the game commenced. At one point, Hardik even pointed fingers at the Indian commentator, as Kartik looked as if he was trying to justify his actions; however, Hardik looked disinterested as he hardly made any eye contact with the 49-year-old.
Notably, the reason is unknown, but it could be because of some past criticism that Karthik directed towards Hardik. Notably, Hardik also had some issues with Irfan Pathan's commentary and it revealed that the India star do keeps an eye on what all is being said about him behind his back.
