Hardik Pandya with a fan (X)

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya marked his return to competitive cricket with a brilliant unbeaten half-century, guiding Baroda to a thrilling seven-wicket win over Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Playing his first match since the Asia Cup in September, Pandya looked in full command as he powered Baroda to a massive chase of 223, the third-highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history. Walking in under pressure, the 32-year-old produced a dynamic knock of 77 not out from 42 deliveries, striking seven fours and four sixes. He finished the match in style, smashing three sixes in a row to seal victory with five balls remaining.

Pandya also rolled his arm over earlier in the game, picking up a wicket though his four-over spell proved expensive. The match saw a brief, unexpected interruption when a fan sprinted onto the field to meet Pandya during Baroda’s bowling innings. The intruder managed to get close enough to take a selfie with the star all-rounder before security intervened. Pandya was seen signalling the officials not to act harshly towards the fan, a gesture that quickly went viral on social media. Earlier, Punjab posted a strong total of 222 for 8, with Anmolpreet Singh blasting 69 off 32 and Abhishek Sharma smashing a rapid 50 from just 19 balls. However, Baroda’s chase was paced perfectly, with Pandya’s explosive finish sealing a memorable win in 19.1 overs. The outing marks an encouraging return for Pandya after his injury setback, which had ruled him out of the Australia tour and the Asia Cup final against Pakistan.