Srinagar: India all-rounder and Mumbai Indians Hardik Pandya went into the field against Rajasthan Royals despite having seven stitches near his eye.
While playing a sweep shot against a local spinner prior to the, Pandya was struck in the eye by the ball, a blow severe enough to require seven stitches. Despite the evident discomfort, Pandya took part in the game against RR, wearing special protective glasses.
At the toss, the MI skipper appeared with a bandaged eye and wore protective glasses. But what followed was Hardik’s impressive knock that stole the spotlight; coming in to bat at no.4, the MI skipper unleashed a flurry of shots, scoring a rapid 48 off just 23 deliveries. His knock included six boundaries and one six, helping MI pile on a commanding total.
The skipper’s efforts didn’t end with the bat. He chipped in with the ball too, bowling a tidy over and picking up the wicket of RR’s impact player, Shubham Dubey, for just 2 runs. His all-round performance aided in MI’s stellar win against the Royals, knocking the home side out of the race for playoffs.