Hardik Pandya once again proved why he is considered one of the most elite athletes in world cricket with a moment of breathtaking brilliance in the field. During a high-stakes 4th T20I encounter against New Zealand in Vizag, his lightning-quick reflexes turned a routine single into a game-changing breakthrough for Team India. By executing a nearly impossible direct hit, he removed the dangerous Mitchell Santner just as the Kiwi captain was beginning to find his rhythm.
IND vs NZ, 4th T20I: Hardik Pandya produces a direct-hit stunner to dismiss Mitchell Santner
The dismissal of Santner at 16.1 was a masterclass in modern-day fielding, showcasing the explosive athleticism that Hardik brings to the Indian side. It began with a subtle back-of-a-length delivery from Jasprit Bumrah that cramped Santner for room, causing the batter to close his bat face slightly too early on 11 from 6 balls.
The resulting outside edge trickled away toward short third man, a position where batters often feel safe enough to steal a quick, opportunistic single to rotate the strike. Seeing a momentary lapse in concentration, Santner took off for the run, but he had drastically underestimated the speed of Pandya, who was prowling the inner circle. Hardik pounced on the ball with the grace of a predator, gathering it cleanly in one fluid motion before unleashing a searing, flat throw that behaved more like a guided missile.
The ball whistled through the air and crashed directly into the base of the stumps at the bowler’s end with devastating accuracy, catching the Kiwi captain short of his ground. Despite Santner’s desperate, full-length dive, the third umpire confirmed the ‘OUT’ signal, reducing New Zealand to 163/6 and halting their momentum. This act of brilliance was a reminder that Pandya remains India’s premier game-changer, capable of manufacturing a wicket out of thin air even without the ball in his hand.
Here’s the video:
Bullseye 🎯
Hardik Pandya with a superb direct hit 🔥
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New Zealand sets a massive target in Vizag T20I against India
The 4th T20I in Visakhapatnam saw New Zealand post a formidable 215/7 after India won the toss and elected to field first in humid conditions. Tim Seifert led the charge with a blistering 62 off 36 balls, recording the fastest T20I half-century by a New Zealander against India in just 25 deliveries. Devon Conway provided stellar support with 44 off 23 balls, as the pair shared a century opening stand in just 8.2 overs to stun the Indian attack.
India finally found a breakthrough when Kuldeep Yadav removed Conway, finishing his spell with vital middle-over figures of 2/39 from his 4 overs. Bumrah quickly followed up by dismissing Rachin Ravindra for 2, eventually ending his quota with 1/38 despite a late-inning assault. The Kiwis suffered a significant middle-order collapse, sliding from a dominant 100/0 to a shaky 152/5 as Ravi Bishnoi removed Mark Chapman (9). Arshdeep Singh proved crucial at the death, removing the dangerous Seifert and Zakary Foulkes (13) to finish with tidy figures of 2/35. Rinku Singh was a magnet in the field, incredibly claiming 4 catches throughout the innings to keep the pressure on the visitors’ lower order.
Daryl Mitchell proved to be the late-innings hero for the Black Caps, smashing an unbeaten 39 off just 18 balls to propel the score past 200. Mitchell’s cameo included a massive six and a four in the final over against Harshit Rana, who struggled under the pressure, conceding 14 runs in the 20th. India, leading the series 3-0, now requires a mammoth 216 runs at a required rate of 10.8 per over to maintain their perfect record. All eyes remain on Sanju Samson, who is desperate for a big score after managing only 16 runs across his previous 3 innings in this series.
Also READ: IND vs NZ: Here’s why Ishan Kishan is not playing today’s 4th T20I match in Visakhapatnam
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