India defeated England by 15 runs in the fourth IND vs ENG T20I at Pune on January 31 (Friday) to claim an unassailable 3-1 lead and win the five-match series. Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana starred for the hosts as they bounced back after facing a loss in Rajkot. Pandya scored a 30-ball 53 that too at a crucial juncture in the match. However, it was Pandya’s heartwarming gesture towards Pune’s ground staff after the match that won hearts on social media.
After the fourth T20I against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, Hardik Pandya took a moment to pose with the ground staff. A photo of Pandya posing with the ground staff is going viral on social media, with users highlighting Pandya’s humble gesture.
Here’s the viral photo:
Hardik Pandya with the Ground staff of Pune stadium 🤍
– A beautiful gesture by Hardik. pic.twitter.com/cni0yINPS5
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 1, 2025
“What a heartwarming gesture by Hardik Pandya! It’s truly inspiring to see athletes showing such appreciation and respect towards the ground staff. Their hard work often goes unnoticed, so this kind of recognition means a lot. Keep shining on and off the field, Hardik,” a user wrote.
Pandya-Dube Stand Higlights India’s Win
In the 4th T20I between India and England, India had a shaky start while batting first, losing three early wickets—Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav—by the second over, all dismissed by England’s Saqib Mahmood.
Despite valuable contributions from Abhishek Sharma (29) and Rinku Singh (30), it was the crucial sixth-wicket partnership between Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube that turned the tide in India’s favor. The duo added 87 runs off just 45 balls, with Hardik scoring 53 off 30 deliveries, including four fours and four sixes, while Dube also notched up 53 off 34 balls. India posted a total of 181/9 in their 20 overs.
In response, England openers Phil Salt (23) and Ben Duckett (39) provided a solid 62-run start. Harry Brook played a good knock of 51, but England’s middle order struggled, eventually falling 15 runs short of the target.
