Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya showcased tremendous form during the side's T20I series opener against England at Southampton on Thursday, July 7. The right-hander emerged as the top contributor with both bat and ball in the encounter and was declared the 'Player of the Match'.India won the toss and elected to bat first in the fixture. Hardik Pandya was the top scorer for the team. He struck his maiden T20I half-century and contributed with 51 runs off just 33 deliveries.Pandya's heroics with the bat helped the Men in Blue post an impressive total of 198 on the board. The 28-year-old also made a significant impact with the ball, picking up four wickets in the match.He finished with figures of 4/33 from his full quota of four overs. It is worth mentioning that Hardik Pandya registered his career-best figures with both bat and ball in T20Is in this game.Fans heaped praise on Pandya for his stunning performances against England in the first T20I of the three-match series. Here are some of the reactions:Gautam Jha@Gautam_jha01Hardik Pandya in today's game:) 51 runs & wickets #ENGvsIND1stT20#IndiaVsEnglandT20onSonyLIV111Hardik Pandya in today's game:) 51 runs & 4⃣ wickets 🔥🔥#ENGvsIND1stT20#IndiaVsEnglandT20onSonyLIV https://t.co/3FZGXnvxIAKashif_Khan331 🇮🇳@kashif_khan1212Hardik pandya ki performance dekhne ke baad venkatesh iyer #INDvsENG #Hardikpandya #Rohitsharma #ENGvINDHardik pandya ki performance dekhne ke baad venkatesh iyer #INDvsENG #Hardikpandya #Rohitsharma #ENGvIND https://t.co/69uMeUPk6rChiraag Panjwani@Chiraag_7Hardik pandya today#INDvsENG #HardikHardik pandya today🔥🔥#INDvsENG #Hardik https://t.co/8ATqhROO2nAejas@aejaspasha88@BCCI @hardikpandya7 @hardikpandya7 has to be made T20 captain wat a fabulous all round performance. Hardik should capitan team india for odi & T20 as well @JayShah@BCCI @hardikpandya7 @hardikpandya7 has to be made T20 captain wat a fabulous all round performance. Hardik should capitan team india for odi & T20 as well @JayShahAman🥵@PeewPeewPeewww@englandcricket As an honest England fan, I declare Hardik Pandya as England's new father1@englandcricket As an honest England fan, I declare Hardik Pandya as England's new fatherYash@yjoshi976One sided domination by India against England 148 All out!!! Wht a game!! Hardik Pandya Remember the Name!! #ENGvIND #India1One sided domination by India against England 😎😎 148 All out!!! Wht a game!! Hardik Pandya Remember the Name!! #ENGvIND #IndiaDigvijoy Biswas@digvijoy_biswasAmazing all round performance from @hardikpandya7 (kung fu pandya) ......Take a Bow #ENGvINDAmazing all round performance from @hardikpandya7 (kung fu pandya)💙🇮🇳💎 ......Take a Bow 👏💥#ENGvINDȺղցҽӀ Ƒìɾժօʂ@Srk_RooshiWhat A Win #ENGvINDIt's Hardik,s Day @hardikpandya71What A Win 💙 #ENGvINDIt's Hardik,s Day ❤️ @hardikpandya7Mr A 🇮🇳@amMrfeed#HardikPandya looks like a natural successor to #Rohit in #T20Is in terms of captaincy. Should be the Vice-captain for the T20I WC in Australia.#Hardik #INDvENG #Southampton#HardikPandya looks like a natural successor to #Rohit in #T20Is in terms of captaincy. Should be the Vice-captain for the T20I WC in Australia.#Hardik #INDvENG #SouthamptonYuvraj Singh 🇮🇳@yuvraj0728Biggest MVP of T20 cricket #HardikPandya #INDvsENGBiggest MVP of T20 cricket ❤️#HardikPandya #INDvsENG https://t.co/msQoZZVKAvSuyog 🇮🇳 ❁@SuyogD3479@thebharatarmy @TheBarmyArmy "We didn't lose to a team called India, we lost to a man called Hardik Pandya". 4@thebharatarmy @TheBarmyArmy "We didn't lose to a team called India, we lost to a man called Hardik Pandya". 😂😂😂Rishabh Saxena@redmanrishabhNot everyone gets to live a day like this @hardikpandya7. 🥂Not everyone gets to live a day like this @hardikpandya7. 🇮🇳🥂shah shaswat@ShahShaswat2Hardik Pandya with bowling be like :- #INDvsENG #pandya #bhuvi #EngVsIndOnSony #PushpaRaj #Hardik #IndianCricketTeamHardik Pandya with bowling be like :- 🔥🔥🔥#INDvsENG #pandya #bhuvi #EngVsIndOnSony #PushpaRaj #Hardik #IndianCricketTeam https://t.co/l1BTEhNf6rAman Aditya kumar@AmanGBEC2011@BCCI @hardikpandya7 Fantastic Kumfu Pandya.🥇🥇🏏🏏@BCCI @hardikpandya7 Fantastic Kumfu Pandya.🇮🇳🇮🇳🥇🥇🏏🏏Sanchit Desai@sanchitd43The story of Hardik Pandya's comeback in 2022 is one of the best sporting stories you will ever hear of. What a fighter man, what a player. So good to finally have him play at his best for the team. #ENGvIND2The story of Hardik Pandya's comeback in 2022 is one of the best sporting stories you will ever hear of. What a fighter man, what a player. So good to finally have him play at his best for the team. #ENGvINDSOMEDAY WHEN PANDYA WILL RECOGNIZE ME ~ MEHAK@oneieedirectionEver heard of electric performance?A comeback?Man gotta see today's match on repeat coz@hardikpandya7 YOU MADE ITlike oh GOD my idol is the only Indian player to score a half-century and take 4 wicketsWohooooSo proud and happyGOD bless you loveYou were meant to riseEver heard of electric performance?A comeback?Man gotta see today's match on repeat coz@hardikpandya7 ✨YOU MADE IT✨like oh GOD my idol is the only Indian player to score a half-century and take 4 wicketsWohooooSo proud and happyGOD bless you love💙You were meant to riseSarcaster 🇮🇳@sarcaster_Hardik Pandya after scoring 50 and taking 4 wickets #IndvsEng72Hardik Pandya after scoring 50 and taking 4 wickets #IndvsEng https://t.co/Ofr46DHHe8kapinjal@Zics_46Came Back Strong India with pandya #INDvsENG #hardikpandya5Came Back Strong India with pandya 💥 #INDvsENG #hardikpandya https://t.co/bmRs9J17INIndian bowlers did a spectacular job to bundle out England for 148 runs in 19.3 overs. The visitors secured a dominant 50-run victory in the contest to go 1-0 up in the white-ball rubber.Rohit Sharma becomes the first ever captain to win 13 consecutive T20Is after Hardik Pandya fires India to victoryWith India's stunning 50-run victory over England, Rohit Sharma has now become the first captain to win 13 T20I games on the trot. Furthermore, it is also Sharma's 15th consecutive win after becoming the full-time skipper of the national side.Sportskeeda@SportskeedaWWWWWWWWWWWWWRohit Sharma becomes the first ever captain to win 13 consecutive matches in T20I history 𝕮𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝕴𝖓𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖊! #ENGvIND #TeamIndia #India #CricketTwitter479WWWWWWWWWWWWWRohit Sharma becomes the first ever captain to win 13 consecutive matches in T20I history 💥🇮🇳𝕮𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝕴𝖓𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖊! 🔥#ENGvIND #TeamIndia #India #CricketTwitter https://t.co/CGzsZNcvqZThe right-hander was ruled out of the rescheduled fifth Test against England due to COVID-19. He made his cricketing return in the first fixture of the T20I series and will be aiming to secure a thumping series win over the hosts.India and England are scheduled to lock horns in the second T20I of the series on Saturday, July 9. The match will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.