Unexpected fan frenzy around Hardik Pandya led organisers to shift Baroda’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Gujarat from the small Gymkhana Ground to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. The move was made after large crowds gathered around the teams, creating security concerns that the original venue could not handle.
Officials said the turnout was far beyond what they usually see for a domestic T20 match, especially around the team hotel, practice area and ticket counters. With Hardik returning to competitive cricket after two months, organisers anticipated interest, but not at this scale. A senior official explained that the call to move the match was taken to “ensure safety and smooth operations” once they saw the situation getting difficult to control.
“Fan turnout, enquiries, and crowd movement exceeded our projections by a huge margin. To ensure safety and smooth match operations, we decided to shift the match to Rajiv Gandhi Stadium,” a senior organising official said.
This is Hardik’s second match since recovering from the ankle injury he suffered during the Asia Cup. His presence has clearly sparked excitement, and that was visible again during the game. Multiple fans broke through the security line and rushed onto the field to meet him. One even managed to take a selfie with the all-rounder before being taken away by ground staff. Hardik handled the interruptions calmly, sharing a smile with teammates before play resumed.
The frenzy came just days after his strong comeback against Punjab, where he scored an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls and took a wicket in Baroda’s seven-wicket win. Against Gujarat, he added 10 runs and picked up another wicket as Baroda comfortably won by eight wickets.
His return is a major talking point for Indian cricket, with a five-match T20I series against South Africa starting December 9. Selectors are hoping he regains full rhythm quickly, especially with the T20 World Cup not too far away. A fully fit Hardik remains a crucial part of India’s white-ball plans, and these domestic outings will help determine his readiness.
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