Champions Trophy 2017 Final: Hardik Pandya sets Twitter abuzz with fastest fifty in ICC tournament finals, mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja

Pandya eventually ended up with a knock of 76 runs off 43 balls before he was run out. He hit 6 monstrous sixes during his knock. He was livid and went back to the hut venting his anger all through the way.

Pandya earned a lot of accolades for his brave knock © Getty Images

Even if the mix-up between Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja — which eventually cost the former his wicket — had not happened, it was highly unlikely that Pandya could have won India the game. Agreed that he was going great guns and hitting the ball as cleanly as it could get, but winning a game from that position was a far-fetched notion. As expected, India capitulated after his dismissal, losing the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final by 180 runs. But what Pandya did manage was a feat no one else has in the history of the tournament — a 32-ball fifty, fastest-ever in all editions of Champions Trophy.

Pandya eventually ended up with a knock of 76 runs off 43 balls before he was run out. He hit 6 monstrous sixes during his knock. He was livid and went back to the hut venting his anger all through the way. “He [Pandya] is passionate and he felt he was in the zone where he thought he could have done something special for the team today,” said Virat Kohli talking about Hardik’s expression of disappointment on the field in the post-match press conference. Even though the Baroda and Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder failed to add more to his kitty, he did manage to win hearts of Twitterati. Pandya earned a lot of accolades for his brave knock.

Some, including his brother and MI all-rounder Krunal Pandya, expressed their happiness over his knock:

I have seen him hit those monster sixes for my entire life but today was something special. Proud of you, @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/ImNJv3vfU0

— Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya24) June 18, 2017

Superb performance @hardikpandya7 & good team effort #TeamIndia. Congratulations @TheRealPCB #INDvPAK #iccchampionstrophy2017final

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) June 18, 2017

Kohli has invested a lot of faith in Pandya and today’s knock shows that it was justified. Cleanest hitter in this line-up. #CT17 #IndvPak

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) June 18, 2017

Wow … Whatever happens India have a superstar in the making of @hardikpandya7 #PAKvIND #CT17

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 18, 2017

Pandya #whatastriker #ct17 #ChampionsTrophy17 #PAKvIND

— Fawad Ahmed (@bachaji23) June 18, 2017

@hardikpandya7 Take a bow Hardik bhaiya. I believe in you . I can surely smell 2019 Cricket World Cup
Indiaaaa Indiaaaa #TrueIndianFan pic.twitter.com/51wjDjBenk

— Chinmay Panda (@Chinmaybest) June 19, 2017