Hardik Pandya stands up for fans, receives rapturous applause from Bengaluru crowd

Team India's star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, is currently showcasing his skills in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, representing Baroda. The excitement among fans is palpable as a large number of them flocked to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to witness Baroda take on Mumbai in the first semi-final of the tournament. However, amidst the excitement, three overzealous fans managed to breach the security barriers and invade the field to meet their idol, Hardik.

Their act prompted swift action from security personnel who quickly escorted them away. It seemed that the fans would face strict consequences for their actions, but in a remarkable gesture, Hardik intervened. The Indian all-rounder walked towards the boundary line, gesturing to the security personnel and urging them to let the fans off without any severe punishment.

His thoughtful and compassionate gesture was met with a huge cheer from the crowd, who appreciated his empathy towards the supporters.

The Indian all-rounder, however, had a rare off-day with the bat, as he was dismissed for just 5 in Baroda's innings. The side, captained by his elder brother Krunal, faced a six-wicket defeat in the semi-final to bow out of the tournament.

Hardik did perform relatively better with the ball, opening the bowling for Baroda and ending with figures of 1/29 in four overs. His economical spell, though, wasn't enough to guide the side to a victory, with Mumbai chasing down a 159-run target with 16 balls to spare.

Ajinkya Rahane was the star for Mumbai in the run-chase, scoring a brilliant 98 off just 56 deliveries to guide the side to the final of the tournament.

Hardik is likely to be seen next in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Baroda; in Indian colours, the all-rounder is set to make a return next month when the side hosts England for a T20I series. It remains to be seen whether Hardik would be considered for the Indian ODI team in the Champions Trophy; the all-rounder wasn't selected for the three-match series against Sri Lanka in August, which sparked concerns over his place in the fifty-over setup.