Sports News
Hardik Pandya does what Kapil Dev did 31 years ago
On Sunday, during the third ODI against Sri Lanka, Pandya took his tally of wickets past 30 this year besides scoring 500-plus runs in 50-over internationals. Only Kapil has had done that before among Indian allrounders, which was in 1986.
New Delhi: Ever since Kapil Dev announced retirement, India have been in struggling mode trying to find someone who can bat and bowl seam-up as brilliantly as Kapil did to become one of India’s legendary cricketers and the best allrounder ever. Of late, if anyone has raised hopes in that search, it’s Hardik Pandya, who has gone on to equal Kapil’s 31-year record in 2017.
On Sunday, during the third ODI against Sri Lanka, Pandya took his tally of wickets past 30 this year besides scoring 500-plus runs in 50-over internationals. Only Kapil has had done that before among Indian allrounders, which was in 1986.
In those 12 months 31 years ago, Kapil scored 517 runs and picked 32 wickets in 27 ODIs. His best knock was 58, while the best bowling figures read 4/30.
Pandya has finished 2017 with 31 ODI wickets with a best of 3/40. In terms of runs, he did better than Kapil scoring 557 runs with a career best of 83. He scored four half-centuries in total. His 31 wickets in the year also put him fifth in the list of highest wicket-takers in ODIs this year.
Interestingly, it was Kapil who handed Pandya his ODI Cap when the youngster made his debut against New Zealand on October 16 last year.
On Sunday in Visakhapatnam, Pandya finished with figures of 2/49 in 10 overs but didn’t get an opportunity to bat as India overhauled Sri Lanka’s 215 to win by 8 wickets – thanks to opener Shikhar Dhawan’s century.
