SMAT 2025: Hardik Pandya Powers Baroda To Their Highest Successful Chase In Comeback Match

Hyderabad: Baroda all-rounder Hardik Pandya scripted a successful comeback to competitive cricket after staying away from the action for a span of two months. He led Baroda to a successful 223-run chase against Punjab on Wednesday in the round 4 match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 (SMAT) in Hyderabad.

Playing his first match since the Asia Cup in September, Hardik turned out to be expensive with the ball. In a dismal show with the ball, he leaked 52 runs in the four overs, taking the wicket of Anmolpreet Singh. Thanks to Abhishek Sharma’s fifty, Punjab managed to post 222/8 in 20 overs.

During the chase, he walked at No.4 after Baroda openers Vishnu Solanki and Shashwat Rawat provided a stable platform for the batters coming after them. He built his innings steadily, designing the run chase brilliantly during his stay at the crease.

Hardik played a blinder of unbeaten 77 runs from 42 deliveries and smacked three consecutive sixes during his knock. The occasion also marked Baroda’s highest-ever chase in the tournament, bettering their last year’s 222-run chase against Tamil Nadu. Also, it is the third-highest successful chase in the tournament history after Mumbai (233/6 vs Andhra Pradesh, 2024) and Puducherry (228/6 vs Andhra Pradesh, 2021).

The win was important for Baroda as they managed to script a solitary win from the three matches before the fixture.

Hardik was away from action due to a left quadracep injury and missed the white-ball tour of Australia and the ongoing ODI series against South Africa. He arrived at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation on October 15.

A fan also barged into the stadium to take a selfie with the star player before being removed by security. There was a high anticipation for Hardik’s return to competitive cricket, and there were loud cheers for the Indian all-rounder.