The Indian cricket team registered a commanding seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first T20I of the three-match series, held in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6. Chasing a target of 128, India achieved the total in just 11.5 overs with 49 balls remaining, marking their largest win in T20Is in terms of balls remaining. The match took place at the newly inaugurated Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, which hosted its first international game.

Hardik Pandya’s no-look shot steals the show

Among the many highlights of India’s emphatic win, Hardik Pandya‘s audacious “no-look” boundary off Taskin Ahmed stood out. During his blistering knock of 39* off just 16 balls, Hardik displayed his signature flamboyance by hitting three consecutive fours, including the viral no-look shot. In the 12th over, Taskin delivered a back-of-a-length ball on Hardik’s body, and without even glancing at the ball’s trajectory, Pandya ramped it over the wicketkeeper’s head for four. His complete confidence in the stroke, combined with his calm demeanor, captured the crowd’s imagination and spread rapidly on social media. The shot was a perfect embodiment of Hardik’s fearless approach and skill with the bat.

Here’s the video:

Hardik Pandey No Look Shot 🥵🔥#INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/fWH9RvjEwq

— 🌠AK Devotee✨SK🎭 (@Akdevoteesk_1) October 6, 2024

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India’s bowlers set the tone against Bangladesh

Earlier in the match, India’s bowlers laid the foundation for the victory by restricting Bangladesh to a modest total of 127. Arshdeep Singh was the star with the ball, picking up 3/14, including the key wickets of openers Litton Das and Parvez Hossain Emon. Varun Chakravarthy also contributed with 3/31, while debutant Mayank Yadav impressed with his pace, taking 1/21. Despite some resistance from Najmul Hossain Shanto (27 off 25) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (35 off 32), Bangladesh’s innings faltered at crucial moments.

In response, India’s top order made light work of the target. Alongside Hardik’s explosive innings, both Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson played handy knocks, scoring 29 runs each. Hardik finished the chase in style, hitting a six off Taskin to seal the game and give India a 1-0 lead in the series.

Also READ: Twitter Reactions: Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh shine in India’s emphatic win over Bangladesh in 1st T20I

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