Hardik Pandya shown no mercy, Vijay Shankar hits him for 3 sixes in an over; follows it with stand-and-pose celebration

It happened during the 17th over of the first innings of the match. Against the first ball of the over, a shorter one outside off, Shankar pulled it effortlessly over cow corner for a six. It helped Shankar and captain Shahrukh Khan complete a fifth-run stand for the fourth wicket. In the next ball, once again well outside off, but fuller in length, Shankar muscled it over long off for a six. In the final ball of the over, slightly on the good-length region, but still outside off, the Tamil Nadu batter pulled it high over the long-on fielder for a six.

Shankar’s knock goes in vain

Shankar, who had sparked an intense bidding war on Monday at his base price of INR 30 lakh, with Chennai Super Kings defeating Gujarat Titans to acquire him for INR 1.20 crore, scored a fiery 42 off 22 balls, laced with four sixes as Tamil Nadu amassed 221 for six in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan was their top-scorer at 57 off 32.

However, Baroda won the match riding on a blazing knock from Hardik. Walking in at No. 6, the India all-rounder scored four boundaries and seven sixes in his 30-ball 69 as Baroda chased down the total in a last-ball drama. Hardik, who was retained as the Mumbai Indians captain ahead of the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, was adjudged as the Player of the Match.

Following the win, Baroda continued their winning streak in the domestic white-ball tournament as they pipped Tamil Nadu to take the top spot in the Group B points table. The Krunal Pandya-led side will play their next match against Tripura on Friday at the same venue, while Tamil Nadu will take on Gujarat on the same day.