Hardik Pandya slams 34 runs in an over

Baroda allrounder Hardik Pandya blasted 34 runs off Delhi medium-pacer Akash Sudan, who conceded a record 39 runs in that one over in the final Group C of the Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Delhi still managed a five-wicket victory, but Baroda would have fancied their chances after the carnage in the penultimate over of the innings helped take their total to 153. Pandya hit five sixes and one four against Sudan, who was made brutally aware of the vagaries of Twenty20 cricket and life of a fast bowler bowling at death. Till Pandya's onslaught, he had conceded just eight runs in three overs and got two wickets to boot.

Although, it was a day match, Pandya was still bristling with excitement late in the evening as he recalled the sequence of his strokes. His innings comes at a handy time - he will be with the Indian T20 team in Australia later this month.

Sudan was playing only his second game for Delhi, but was given the responsibility of bowling the 19th over. The first ball was dispatched over long-on. The second ball went for four byes but Pandya reckoned he had "nicked" it. Sudan followed up with a slower one, but Pandya tonked it over the cow corner. The next ball, a no-ball, went over midwicket for a third six. Then came a four through the same area and followed by a six over long-on. Sudan dug the final delivery in short and Pandya slapped it confidently over long-off to round off the most runs recorded in an over in T20 cricket. The previous record was 38, set by New Zealand's Scott Styris in July 2012.

Pandya's big-hitting ability became known during the IPL 2015, when the champions Mumbai Indians used him as one of their finishers. He is the fifth-highest run-getter in Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament now.

Pandya said he had, in fact, watched Sudan thrive in the death on his debut on Saturday. The medium-pacer took 2 for 10 to help Delhi successfully defend a total of 91 against Goa in Vadodara. Things went in the opposite direction today, though.

"We were 60 for 6 after 12 overs. Then our score was 93 after 18 overs. I had to target him [Sudan]. I was not expecting to get nearly 40 runs," Pandya told ESPNcricinfo. "My expectation was to get a couple of sixes. I just went with the flow." Pandya was not shy in admitting this was his best in Twenty20 in an over. "I guess it is a record in domestic T20," he said with a chuckle.

Despite Pandya's effort Delhi were one of two teams to go through to the Super eights without losing a single match. Vijay Dahiya, Delhi's coach, praised Pandya for backing himself and putting pressure on Sudan. "He was fantastic and put pressure on Akash every ball and came out on top every ball."

Both Delhi and Baroda will now progress into the Super eights, along with Vidarbha, Gujarat, Kerala, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.