Fan rush for Hardik Pandya forces venue change in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Hardik Pandya’s return to competitive cricket sparked massive fan interest, forcing organisers to shift Baroda’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Gujarat from Gymkhana ground to Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium for security reasons. Baroda won by eight wickets as Pandya took one wicket

Hyderabad: Fan frenzy over star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya forced organisers to shift the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between his team Baroda and Gujarat to the more secure Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium from the Gymkhana ground here on Thursday.

The game, which Baroda won by eight wickets, was moved due to unexpected crowd interest and security concerns over Hardik’s presence. It was the second competitive game for the India all-rounder since returning from a two-month injury break. He will be seen in India colours in the upcoming five-match T20 series against South Africa beginning in Cuttack on December 9.

---

Officials confirmed that the decision was taken after unusually large gatherings of fans were recorded near the team hotel, practice nets and ticket counters, far exceeding the normal turnout for a domestic fixture. “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.

After smashing an unbeaten 77 against Punjab, Hardik made 10 and took a wicket against Gujarat.