Watch: Hardik Pandya Stuns World's Top-ranked ODI Batter Babar Azam With a Terrific Delivery

Hardik Pandya produced a peach of a delivery to outclass world’s top-ranked ODI batter Babar Azam in India vs Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo on Monday.

After a Jasprit Bumrah pearler got the better of Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq earlier in the contest, captain Babar Azam walked in next at no. 3 but his stay was cut short thanks to a stunning delivery from right-arm pacer Pandya in the 11th over.

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To be fair, it was a delivery that surprised everyone, judging by the reactions and even the world’s best batter failed to negotiate.

Pandya pitched the delivery outside off and got the ball to swing in alarmingly, at pace, that before Babar could bring his bat down, it sneaked through the gap to crash on the off stump leaving the India allrounder and his teammate Virat Kohli mighty pleased.

Babar walked back after managing 10 off 24.

It was Jasprit Bumrah who troubled Babar early on, getting the ball to swing consistently and beating him on the outside edge on several occasions.

Pandya thus extended Babar’s poor run against India in ODIs with the star Pakistan batter managing just 168 runs in seven matches.

The 28-year-old averages an excellent 58.47 in ODIs but it drops to 28 against India.

Put in to bat first in their first match of the Super Four stage by Pakistan, India posted a mammoth 356/2 in 50 overs.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were in red-hot touch with each hitting a century as they dominated Pakistan bowlers at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 122 , 47th century of his ODI career, with the help of nine fours and three sixes.

On the other hand, Rahul made an equally impressive 111* off 106 with the  help of  12 fours and two sixes in what was his first match since a thigh injury during IPL 2023.

Kohli and Rahul added 231 runs between them and thus set a new record for the highest partnership for any wicket by an Indian pair in an ODI against Pakistan.