A video showing Hardik Pandya and former Indian cricketer Murali Kartik in a heated exchange went viral on Thursday. The event took place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur before the second T20I match between India and New Zealand on January 23, 2026.
A fan inside the stadium recorded the video on their phone. The clip shows both men standing near the boundary rope during India’s pre-match practice session. They shook hands when they first met, but the conversation quickly turned tense. Hardik appeared upset and spoke in an animated way while Kartik tried to explain something.
The exact reason for the argument remains unknown. The video has no clear audio, so nobody can hear what they said to each other. Neither Hardik nor Kartik has spoken publicly about what happened. The BCCI also stayed silent and gave no official statement on the matter.
Hardik walked onto the ground carrying his bat and gloves for practice when the incident took place. Fans cheered loudly when he entered the stadium. One voice in the video can be heard shouting, “Hardik aa gaya woohoo” as the crowd welcomed him.
Murali Kartik works as a cricket commentator and presenter now. He was at the stadium as part of the broadcast team covering the match. The timing made things awkward since Kartik had to analyze Hardik’s performance on air later that evening.
Match Performance Not Affected
Hardik played the match that night despite the earlier confrontation. He bowled three overs and took one wicket for 25 runs. The all-rounder also took three catches in the field to dismiss Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, and Daryl Mitchell. New Zealand scored 208 for six wickets in their innings.
His fitness and focus during the game showed the argument did not shake him. He went through his normal routine and contributed with both the ball and in the field. The team management appeared satisfied with his effort.
The video got shared thousands of times on social media within hours. Many fans tried guessing what caused the disagreement. Some blamed professional rivalry, while others thought it was just a misunderstanding between two people who know each other well.
Lastly, one of the news sites that wrote about the story gave it a verification score of two out of five. This means that the event did happen, but we can’t be sure of the details because they only come from one source. The low score tells people to be careful about what they believe.
Suggested Read: Hardik Pandya’s profile and career moments
No one from the Indian team’s management or support staff said anything about the video. The silence suggests either that the matter was too small to address or that the board wants to handle it privately. Kartik also continued his commentary duties for the rest of the series without any public reference to what happened.
The incident became another talking point in a busy series between India and New Zealand. Fans will likely keep discussing it until either Hardik or Kartik decides to share their version of events.
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