Hardik Pandya mania forces venue shift for Baroda–Gujarat SMAT match

Hyderabad: Hardik Pandya’s comeback triggered such overwhelming fan frenzy that organisers had no choice but to shift the Baroda–Gujarat SMAT fixture to a high-capacity stadium.

The match, originally scheduled here at the Gymkhana Ground, was relocated to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, known for hosting major international matches and IPL fixtures. It provides stronger security architecture and greater crowd-handling capacity, making it the preferred choice for a turnout of this scale.

Officials confirmed that the decision was taken after unusually large gatherings of fans were recorded near team hotels, practice nets, and ticket counters — far exceeding typical domestic tournament turnout. In Baroda’s previous game against Punjab, play was interrupted multiple times due to pitch invasions as fans rushed out to meet Hardik.

The surge, organisers say, is driven entirely by the excitement to watch Hardik Pandya, whose star power continues to attract fans in overwhelming numbers.

“The enthusiasm for Hardik Pandya is unbelievable. 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.

Hardik returned to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff on Tuesday and smashed a 42-ball 77 not out for Baroda as the team chased down a 223-run target against Punjab to clinch their second consecutive victory at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

He sustained an injury during India’s Asia Cup Super Fours clash against Sri Lanka and has been out of action since. The allrounder subsequently missed the ODI and T20I series against Australia and was unavailable for selection for the ongoing 50-over series against South Africa.

However, after exiting the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and upon receiving RTP (Return to Play) clearance from the board, Hardik joined the Baroda team, led by his brother Krunal Pandya, for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament.

On Thursday, Baroda crushed Gujarat by eight wickets in an Elite Group C match, sealing their third win in five games to move to the top of the table, with Gujarat sitting second with the same number of wins but with a lesser net run rate.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Baroda restricted Gujarat 70 with Raj Limbani picking 3 for 5. In response, Baroda chased down the target in 6.4 overs for the loss of two wickets.

IANS