Team India’s fielding coach T Dilip praised Hardik Pandya for pulling off a stunning catch in the Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman on Friday, September 19. Dilip said the team has been putting in extra effort to improve their catching, and Pandya showed perfect execution of those skills in a pressure situation.
India went on to beat Oman by 21 runs in match number 12 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Batting first, the Men in Blue posted 188/8. Oman gave a strong fight in the chase but finished on 167/4.
Oman’s Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46) and Hammad Mirza (51 off 33) put India under pressure with a 93-run stand for the second wicket. Hardik Pandya finally broke the partnership with a moment of brilliance. In the 18th over, Kaleem went after a slower ball from Harshit Rana, but Pandya at fine leg judged it perfectly. He caught the ball cleanly with both hands while keeping his balance along the boundary rope, making sure he didn’t touch the cushion.
After the match, India’s fielding coach T. Dilip praised Pandya’s effort. He said the all-rounder’s catch reflected the team’s intense fielding practice and commended the way Pandya handled the pressure.
Pandya was unluckily ran out for one earlier in the day. A slower ball was driven down the ground by Sanju Samson. However, the non-striker was out of his crease when spinner Jiten Ramanandi diverted the ball onto the stumps.
“Hardik Pandya over a period has been outstanding” – India fielding coach T Dilip
Pandya has always been concerned about his workload, especially given the number of fitness problems he has encountered. The all-rounder is anticipated to be a vital element of the team as India prepares to play three Super 4 games in six days. When asked how the cricket player’s workload is being handled, Dilip gave the following explanation:
“Regarding workload, one thing we are very conscious about – myself, bowling coach and the trainer Adrian, we always communicate. We make sure that when I am trying to push him, he’s [trainer] on the back foot and when he’s trying to push him, I take the backseat.
“At the start, we did a lot of volume. As we came closer to the tournament, it was always about specifics – where they stand in the match and make sure that the intensity is carried out. Hardik Pandya over a period has been outstanding,” Dilip concluded.
On Friday, Hardik Pandya bowled his entire allotted four overs in the Asia Cup 2025 encounter against Oman. The economical figures for the right-arm pacer were 1-26.
