Watch: Hardik Pandya targets 'history-maker' Kusal Perera with cold stare in 2nd IND vs SL T20I
Published - 28 Jul 2024, 10:45 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 06:35 AM
The India National Cricket Team all-rounder Hardik Pandya gave a cold stare to the history-maker of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team, Kusal Perera, in the second T20I of the three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Sunday, July 28.
Kusal Perera emerged as the top performer for Sri Lanka in the second match of the series. The senior batsman smashed 53 runs off 34 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes.
He also created history with his knock of 53 runs. This was the 14th half-century for Kusal Perera, and he has now joined Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Mendis in the elite list of players with the most 50+ scores for the Lankan Lions in the shortest format of the game. Notably, both Dilshan and Mendis also have 14 50+ scores to their name.
Perera's innings was brought to an end by Hardik Pandya in the 16th over of the innings. On the last ball of the over, Pandya bowled a 122kph short ball and Perera went for a pull shot. He wasn't able to make a good connection with the ball and was caught by Rinku Singh at the deep square leg. The Indian player who had dropped a few catches earlier caught the ball and kissed it. Pandya also gave a cold stare to batter after dismissing him.
Watch - Hardik Pandya gives cold stare to Kusal Perera in 2nd IND vs SL T20I
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In the end, Sri Lanka National Cricket Team posted 161/9 on the board. At the time of writing, the match has been stopped due to rain in the city.
How Did Indian Batters Perform In The 1st T20I?
The batters of the India National Cricket Team displayed a stunning performance in the first T20I match against the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team on July 27.
After being invited to bat first, it was the responsibility of the new white-ball vice-captain Shubman Gill and explosive opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to take their team off to a flying start and they exactly did that.
Both the batters played an attacking brand of cricket and were in no mood to go conservative against the Lankan bowling unit. Gill and Jaiswal smoked the Sri Lankan bowlers all around the Pallekele stadium and were involved in a sensational 74-run partnership that came off just 36 deliveries.
Shubman Gill was the first one to fall, and he smashed 34 runs before taking a long walk back to the pavilion. He scored his runs at a strike rate of 212.50 and his innings consisted of 6 fours as well as one six. Jaiswal also departed very soon, but only after smashing 40 runs off 21 balls. His brilliant innings was studded with 5 fours and 2 sixes.
After the openers got out, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant joined forces with the aim to capitalize on the momentum built by Gill and Jaiswal. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav batted with the same aggressive template, but his partner Pant was struggling to get going.
Suryakumar Yadav entertained the fans with his 360-degree game, which turned out to be a nightmare for the bowlers. He smashed 58 runs off 26 balls, with 8 fours and 2 sixes, before being dismissed.
Talking about Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batsman struggled initially, but he managed to hit some boundaries after being set, which helped him finish with a score of 49 runs off 33 balls. The rest of the batters - Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, and Axar Patel - weren't able to make any big contributions, as India posted 213/7 on the board.
