NEW DELHI: Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya produced a stunning moment on the field and grabbed the spotlight during the fourth T20I between India and New Zealand at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. The match was evenly poised, but Pandya’s sharp awareness changed the tone of the game.The incident happened in the 18th over when Jasprit Bumrah bowled to New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
It was a back-of-a-length delivery at the stumps, and Santner played it softly as the ball rolled towards short third man. Hardik Pandya moved quickly, picked up the ball cleanly, and unleashed a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Santner dived in desperation, but the effort was not enough, and he was run out after scoring 11 off six balls.Watch:New Zealand had started strongly after India won the toss and chose to bowl. Devon Conway provided momentum with a fluent 44, while Tim Seifert played an aggressive knock of 62. Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell added useful runs in the middle and death overs, helping New Zealand reach 215/7 in 20 overs.India kept fighting back with timely wickets. Kuldeep Yadav struck twice, Arshdeep Singh also claimed two, and Bumrah remained disciplined with the ball. Despite the high scoring rate, India’s fielding energy stayed high throughout the innings.Pandya’s run-out proved crucial as it broke a developing partnership and slowed New Zealand’s late surge. The effort lifted the Indian players and the crowd, and it showed the importance of quick thinking and athleticism in modern T20 cricket.
