Dinesh Karthik played a match-winning knock of 27-ball 55 in the fourth T20I against South Africa.
Karthik arrived in the middle when Team India were struggling at 81/4 in the 13th over. Amid the pressure situation, the veteran wicketkeeper smashed 55 off 27 balls (9 fours and 2 sixes) and added 65 runs for the fifth wicket with Hardik (46 off 31 balls) to propel the hosts to 169/6 in 20 overs.
Defending the total, India bowlers put on a show, bundling out the Proteas for a paltry 87 in 16.5 overs to level the series 2-2.
WATCH – ‘Want to be that guy who can help Team India win tough games’, says Dinesh Karthik
After the game, Hardik had a candid conversation with Karthik for bcci.tv and said that the wicketkeeper-batter continues to be an inspiration for everyone.
"I need to tell you this, Genuinely I want to tell you this, you have given a lot of inspiration to many guys in their life. I remember the conversation you were having when you were not in the scheme of things, a lot of people counted you out," Pandya said.
"I remember those conversations. You told me then that my goal is to play for India again and the goal is to play this World Cup, I am going to give it my everything, and seeing you achieve that is very inspirational. A lot of people are going to learn new things. Well done my brother, very proud of you," he added.
For Hardik Pandya, his performance was a continuation of brilliance in the IPL 2022, where he led Gujarat Titans to the title in their maiden season.
“For me genuinely nothing changes because I play the situation, I play the symbol which is there on my chest. The only thing which I want to get better with time, it's about how…smoothness and how frequently I can do the same thing which I did for Gujarat Titans and for India as well,” he stated.
Pandya also revealed a lesson he learnt from the legendary MS Dhoni that transformed him as a cricketer.
“Earlier in the days, Mahi bhai taught me one thing. I asked him a very simple thing like ‘how do you get away from pressure and everything?' And he gave me a very simple advice. It was like, ‘Stop thinking about what is your score, start thinking what your team requires.' That lesson has stuck to my mind and kind of helped me become the player which I have become. Whichever situation I go in, I assess and play accordingly.”
The series-deciding fifth T20I will be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday (June 19).