Asia Cup T20 2022, IND vs PAK: 'Hardik Pandya never showed any panic' - Rohit Sharma

It was a cheeky but brave performance by Team India, as it sneaked past arch-rival Pakistan by five wickets in Game 2 of the 2022 Asia Cup T20 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. As a result, India has gone atop its Group A table, while it's run-rate is slightly on the edge since it won the tie with just a couple of balls to spare. Nevertheless, everyone talks about all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who did a great job across departments and hit the winning runs to get the job done and avenge India's defeat to the side last year during the ICC T20 World Cup at the same venue. Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma was all-praise for him.

During the post-match presentation, Rohit reckoned, "Halfway through the chase, we still knew that we could win irrespective of the situation. We had the belief, and these things can happen when you have that belief. Since the time he [Pandya] has made his comeback, he's been brilliant."

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"When he [Pandya] was not part of the team, he figured out what he needed to do to his body and fitness regime, and now, he is clocking 140+ easily. We all know his batting quality, and it's been brilliant since his comeback. He is a lot calmer now and more confident about what he wants to do, whether it's with the bat or with the ball," continued Rohit.

"He [Pandya] can bowl quickly. We saw that today with those short balls. It was always about just understanding his game, and he's doing that well now. In a high-pressure with ten runs per over needed, you can panic, but he never showed any of that," Rohit concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)