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Photograph: (Source: India Today)
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During their high-stakes Champions Trophy match on February 23 in Dubai, India's great all-rounder Hardik Pandya dismissed Pakistan's standout batsman Babar Azam for 23, giving him a savage and taunting farewell. Babar was undone on the very next ball after he had confidently hit a boundary off Pandya's previous delivery, setting off the explosive moment.
After hitting five boundaries in his 23-run knockoff 26 balls, the hitter appeared to be in excellent form at first. However, KL Rahul completed a catch behind the stumps when Pandya's stunning delivery clipped the outside edge, ending his innings. 'Bye-bye' Pandya gestured to Babar Azam as he was heading back to the pavilion. On social media, the moment went viral very fast.
Hardik Pandya goes viral:
Imam-ul-Haq, who took the place of the injured Fakhar Zaman, and Babar opened the innings together, carrying the hopes of Pakistani supporters. The captain of Pakistan got off to a smooth start, scoring 23 runs at a strike rate of 88.46 with five clean boundaries. But in the ninth over, Hardik Pandya bowled a crisp delivery that swung away and struck the outside edge of Babar's bat, ending his promising performance. KL Rahul, India's wicketkeeper, made a perfect catch, sending the Indian players into wild celebrations.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐! ๐ฅ๐ฏ
โ Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 23, 2025
India gets the breakthrough as @hardikpandya7 forces the edge, and Babar Azam has to walk back! Game-changing moment? ๐คฏ๐ฅ#ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ ๐ต๐ฐ | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi,โฆ pic.twitter.com/PyRBhJQeXb
The Men in Green's batting problems from the last game persisted. Babar was criticized for his intentions after attempting to reach a goal of more than 300 runs during a sluggish knock against New Zealand. After defeating Bangladesh by a commanding six wickets in their tournament opener, India entered this match. However, following a humiliating 60-run loss to New Zealand, Pakistan was under pressure. With India's semifinal berth on the line and Pakistan needing to win, the current match is crucial for both teams.
After getting smacked for a four on the previous ball, Pandya was clearly steamed up and made sure he had the last word. The Indian all-rounder gave Babar Azam an impassioned farewell as he made his way back to the pavilion; the video quickly went viral on social media.
Watch this space for more cricket news.
