Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya demolished the South African bowling attack twice after his return to the shortest format of international cricket following a two-month absence due to injury. He first rescued India in game 1 and then dominated the Protea attack in the final match of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Hardik Pandya turned his beast mode on as India arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the final match of the South Africa tour of the India T20I series. Pandya returned to Ahmedabad on one of his best-known and favourite tracks in all of India.

Having played for the Gujarat Titans, Pandya spent a lot of time batting on these turfs, and he showed why he is often considered one of the finest all-rounders of modern-day cricket. Pandya rocked back and started bashing from ball 1. He got to the second-fastest T20I fifty for India in just 18 balls and finished with a clinical 63.

Hardik Pandya's dominance left former South African paceman baffled

Witnessing Hardik Pandya's heroic innings was South African pace legend Dale Steyn, and he heaped praises on the Indian all-rounder. And what seemed to have impressed him more was not Pandya's explosive strokeplay but his determined approach and firm mentality.

He called out that Hardik works out on a different mental plane, and his presence is totally unmatched on the field. Speaking of him on JioStar, the former South African claimed that Pandya has moved on from being just a sportsman to being a superhero.

He felt the way Hardik Pandya dictates and casts his authority on the field; it is nothing but sheer dominance and the ability to stay mentally untouchable. According to him, Hardik Pandya has taken power-hitting to another level, as it is not just a mere skillset possessed by him.

Dale Steyn looked unimpressed by South Africa's reserved strategy against Jasprit Bumrah

After having praised Hardik for his mentality, Dale Steyn, in the same show, went on to criticize the lack of intent from the South African pacers against India's premier bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy.

He clearly felt that just surviving off Bumrah's spells was not the best strategy when the team was chasing a massive total of 230 runs. Once Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Quinton de Kock, it led to pressure building up on the Proteas, and Varun Chakravarthy soon got his rhythm and cleared the Protea middle order.

With this, Dale Steyn makes his point that often Jasprit Bumrah's impact is way beyond just his wickets. He suggested that South Africa should have taken risks against even the elite bowlers since wickets would have fallen anyway.

Steyn looked impressed with Varun Chakravarthy's quality and variations

Steyn was also in high praise for the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner. Varun Chakravarthy has easily dominated the middle-order batters during the middle phase of the game, as they have failed to pick him up.

Chakravarthy truly possesses a wide array of bowling variations, alongside various release techniques and has stunning control, alongside some smart variation of pace. Steyn admitted that, except for Aiden Markram, no one else reads him in that South African middle order.

Even Aiden Markram becomes more cautious when Chakravarthy controls his line and length, which Steyn believes is the worst mindset for any batter in the T20 format. Varun Chakravarthy picked up four wickets in the game in Ahmedabad.