Hardik Pandya made a strong comeback to competitive cricket on Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten 77 to lead Baroda to a thrilling seven-wicket win over Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad. This was his first match since the Asia Cup in September, and he looked in complete control from the moment he walked in.

Chasing a daunting 223, Baroda pulled off the third-highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history. Pandya entered at a tense moment but shifted momentum quickly. His 77* came off 42 balls, featuring seven boundaries and four clean sixes. He wrapped up the match in style by hitting three consecutive sixes, sealing the chase with five balls left.

Earlier in the match, he bowled four overs, taking a wicket, though the spell was on the expensive side.

The game briefly paused when a fan broke through the security cordon and ran straight toward Pandya during Baroda’s bowling innings. The supporter managed to click a selfie before guards stepped in. Pandya was seen calming the officials and signaling them not to be rough with the fan, a moment that fans widely shared online.

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Punjab had earlier set a strong target of 222 for 8. Anmolpreet Singh hammered 69 off 32 balls, while Abhishek Sharma blasted a 19-ball half-century to lift the innings. But Baroda’s chase was timed perfectly, with Pandya’s explosive finish sealing a memorable win in 19.1 overs.

The performance marks a promising return for Pandya, who had been sidelined after an injury that kept him out of the Australia tour and the Asia Cup final against Pakistan.