Team India’s skipper Hardik Pandya had challenged West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran after the third IND vs WI T20I and had remarked ‘let him hit me’. Pooran did the same in the fifth T20I and smashed Hardik for back-to-back sixes after which he took a jab at the Indian captain.
West Indies defeated India by 8 wickets in the fifth T20I on August 13 in Lauderhill, Florida. Nicholas Pooran was the star performer for the Caribbean side and his aggressive batting came as a befitting reply to the comment made by Hardik Pandya after the third game between the two sides.
If Nicholas Pooran wants to hit, let him hit me: Hardik Pandya
“Nicky (Pooran) didn’t come out to bat and that allowed us to keep our pacers back, also allowed Axar to bowl his four overs. If Nicky wants to hit, let him hit me and that was the plan, I enjoy such competition. I know he is going to hear this and will come hard at me in the fourth T20I,” Pandya had said after the third IND vs WI T20I.
West Indies were chasing a below-par target of 166 runs set by the Men in Blue in the series decider on August 13. They lost the wicket of opening batter Kyle Mayers quite early after which Pooran was promoted up the order to carry on the momentum of the Caribbean innings along with Brandon King.
Hardik Pandya came in to bowl the 3rd over of the innings and his plan backfired terribly. On the 5th delivery of the over, Pooran smashed him for a six over the long on boundary and then over the mid-wicket region to get another six.
Nicholas Pooran’s befitting reply to Hardik Pandya on Instagram
The Caribbean batter didn’t shy away from taking a jab at the Indian skipper after hitting him for back-to-back sixes. Shortly after the game, he shared the screenshot of the massive sixes smashed by him in the 5th T20I and shared on his Instagram story.
https://twitter.com/ChampVirat_18/status/1690968334693732353
Meanwhile, Pooran continued the momentum he got after smashing Hardik Pandya for back-to-back sixes. He eventually scored 47 runs off just 35 deliveries including 4 mighty maximums.
Brandon King scored a scintillating 85 off just 55 deliveries including 5 fours and 6 maximums. Courtesy of the brilliant partnership between the two batters for the second wicket, West Indies chased down the target in just 18 overs in the 5th IND vs WI T20I.
