India, Dec. 2 -- Hardik Pandya made a blockbuster return to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff as he set the base for Baroda's emphatic seven-wicket win against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The group stage match against Abhishek Sharma's Punjab was Hardik's first competitive game since India's Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s match against Sri Lanka. After sustaining an injury, the 32-year-old was forced to sit out the final against Pakistan, and he also missed the white-ball series against Australia.

Hardik, who is all set to return to India's T20I side for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa, beginning December 9, hammered 77 runs off 42 balls...