Whereas followers in Raipur had been centered on the New Zealand team’s black armbands through the second T20I in opposition to India on January 23, 2026, social media erupted over a viral video displaying an intense, animated change between Hardik Pandya and commentator Murali Kartik. The footage, captured by a fan on the stadium, has sparked widespread debate in regards to the nature of their dialog simply moments earlier than the match started.
IND vs NZ: The animated change in Raipur between Hardik Pandya and Murali Kartik
India introduced their presence on the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Worldwide Cricket Stadium with a viral second involving Hardik and former spinner Kartik. As Hardik walked out for his pre-match coaching session carrying his bat and gloves, he was greeted by Kartik close to the boundary rope.
Whereas the 2 initially shared a quick handshake, the interplay shortly escalated into what gave the impression to be a heated argument. Hardik was seen visibly agitated, launching into an animated monologue with pointed gestures, whereas Kartik gave the impression to be making an attempt to elucidate his place and calm the all-rounder down. Though the precise particulars of the dialog weren’t audible, the depth of the change suggests a transparent disagreement as per followers, presumably over latest commentary critiques or Kartik’s on-air slips through the sequence.
Right here’s the video:
Heated change between Hardik Pandya and Murali Kartik? Ideas? 👀 pic.twitter.com/PsKs2ia7TF
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) January 23, 2026
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New Zealand submit a formidable 208/6 in opposition to India within the Raipur T20I
Whereas the Black Caps managed to post a formidable 208/6, Hardik was arguably India’s most influential presence on the sphere, particularly throughout a middle-over squeeze that briefly checked the guests’ momentum. Past his bowling figures of 1/25 in 3 overs, Hardik was a magnet for the ball within the subject, remarkably claiming three essential catches to dismiss Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell. His wicket of Mark Chapman within the seventeenth over was a masterclass in change-of-pace, utilizing a signature slower off-cutter to induce a miscue simply because the left-hander seemed to speed up.
All through the innings, Hardik displayed distinctive recreation consciousness, constantly hitting a tough size that pressured even a well-set Mitchell Santner to rethink his scoring choices. His financial system price of 8.33 was significantly spectacular given the high-scoring nature of the Raipur floor, and his management within the ring supplied important help to captain Suryakumar Yadav. As India prepares for a large chase of 209, Pandya’s all-round affect has already set the stage for what might be a series-defining efficiency by the premier all-rounder.
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