During a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between Baroda and Punjab on December 2, a spectator rushed onto the field and took a selfie with Hardik Pandya. The viral incident occurred in the first innings at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Hardik Pandya graciously posed for a selfie with the fan before security stepped in, apprehending the intruder and guiding him back to the boundary line. It seemed that Hardik made a gesture towards the security team, signaling them to handle the situation with care as the fan was escorted off.
Hardik Pandya returned to action in this game after recovering from a quadriceps injury he sustained during the 2025 Asia Cup, where India triumphed over Pakistan. He was unable to play in the final of the Asia Cup or the subsequent tour of Australia. Pandya has also been ruled out of the ongoing South Africa series at home, missing the ODI lineup. The selectors haven’t unveiled the T20I squad for the full-series showdown against the Proteas, leaving fans wondering if he’ll be match-ready before the squad is finalised.
Hardik’s outing with the ball didn’t quite go his way. Operating with the new ball under skipper Krunal Pandya, he finished with figures of 1/52 from four overs. Punjab capitalised on the loose bowling to reach 222/8 after electing to bat first.
With the bat, Hardik delivered a sensational finish, an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls, decorated with seven fours and four sixes. Baroda completed a comfortable seven-wicket victory and will now lock horns with Gujarat on December 4 at the same location.