“There is no batter like him” - Ex-Indian opener heaps praise on Hardik Pandya

Former Indian opening batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on the Indin all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who played an unbeaten 59-run knock in the first T20I against South Africa as hosts bagged a 101-run win in Cuttack.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Chopra asserted that Hardik has been an important member of the Indian T20I side for the way he batted against Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje and changed the game’s complexion.

"You suddenly realize how important this guy is in this team. Hardik actually does what very few players in our country can. If we talk about this match, everyone was struggling. However, he came and hit Keshav Maharaj for two sixes. Anrich Nortje was thrashed. You suddenly feel that this guy is at a different level. His quality of hitting is second to none," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

"Of course, he bowls with the new ball as well. However, you can still get that job done by Arshdeep (Singh) and (Jasprit) Bumrah, but you cannot get anyone else to bat at this number. There is no batter like that. It's not a slight on anyone else. Shivam Dube hits good shots, Jitesh Sharma can also do that job, and there might be a few more, but when Hardik bats, only he bats," he concluded.

Notably, Hardik came out to bat at 78/4 in 11.4 overs. Eventually, he went on to score 59* runs in 28 balls with six fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 210.71 on a tough batting wicket as India posted an imposing total of 175/6 in 20 overs. In the response, South Africa got all-out for 74 runs in 12.3 overs, losing the game by 101 runs.

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