Former India pacer Irfan Pathan lauded Hardik Pandya for his standout performance in the opening T20I against South Africa on Tuesday, December 9, in Cuttack. Pathan remarked that Pandya showed no signs of returning from an injury layoff. Making his international comeback since the 2025 Asia Cup, Pandya smashed an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls to power India to a commanding 101-run win.
He also dismissed David Miller, finishing with figures of 1 for 16 in two overs. In a video posted on his YouTube channel ‘Irfan Pathan,’ the former all-rounder praised Hardik’s knock, noting that he appeared equally dominant against both fast bowlers and spinners.
“The way Hardik Pandya batted, it didn’t feel like he was coming back from injury. He looked fully in form. He looked in control for 75 to 90% and played big shots against spinners straightaway. Pandya’s strength is he goes for the big shots if the length is full. He also batted with control against pace bowling that clocked beyond 150 and his innings was the difference,” Pathan said.
“Surya’s Form A Concern”: Irfan Pathan Highlights Captain’s Batting Woes
In the same video, Irfan Pathan suggested that Suryakumar Yadav should focus on playing deliveries outside the off-stump with a straighter bat. He also emphasized that despite his recent struggles, the senior batter is not actually out of form.
“The way three wickets fell initially, Suryakumar Yadav played the ball on the off-stump to the leg side. He must give himself time to play straight and he is not entirely out of form. Surya is surely out of runs. His strength is leg side but must look to play straight and balls to the off-stump must go straight. Tilak Varma often converts his starts to bigger scores but his partnership with Axar Patel stabilised India’s innings after those three early wickets,” Pathan said.
Team India will continue their series against South Africa in the second T20I scheduled for Thursday.
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