From incessant boos to admirable adulation —Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has possibly seen it all in the last few months. During this heavy lifting period, his life underwent a transformation and keeping him composed in the turmoil was his determination to never quit the battlefield.
Pandya recently opened up about the tumultuous period he faced during the Indian Premier League 2024 season. He was insulted and looked down upon throughout the tournament as Mumbai Indians’ fans were unhappy with the transfer of leadership from Rohit Sharma to him.
The season as one would imagine, didn’t turn out to be a memorable one for both Pandya and Mumbai as they finished at the bottom on the points table.
However, there was an unbelievable twist in the script, as Hardik bowled the nail-biting last over of the T20 World Cup 2024 final and successfully defended 15 odd runs to etch an improbable win for India.
Recalling the tough phase of his career, the all-rounder said that he continued to work hard irrespective of what was happening around him.
“I realized that no matter what was happening around me, cricket would always be my greatest ally…I kept pushing through, and when all the hard work finally paid off, it was beyond anything I could have scripted. For me, it has always been about never leaving the battlefield. There have been phases in my career where my focus wasn’t necessarily on winning but on surviving and holding my ground,” Pandya told in an interview with Jio Hotstar.
As per the flamboyant superstar, it was a complete 360-degree turnaround, mentioning the applause and warmth he received from the Mumbai crowd after winning the T20 World Cup was indeed overwhelming.
“The six-month phase where we won the World Cup, and then the kind of love and support I received upon returning — it was a complete 360-degree turnaround for me. I didn’t know exactly when that would happen, but as they say, destiny had its plan, and in my case, everything changed within two and a half months,” he added.
The ire of fans faced by Pandya only made him stronger, affirming his belief that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. His family’s relentless support and the pursuit to let his hard work speak were enough to silence the critics and eliminate the noise.
His is a story of turmoil to triumph in true sense.
My Perspective:
His effort was not aptly recognized in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy; Pandya was not just an all-rounder but a paramount front line fast bowler in the semifinal and final matches, where he brilliantly complemented Mohammad Shami at the other end.
Having played a pivotal role in India’s consecutive ICC Trophy victories, Pandya is now eager to take this remarkable streak forward in the upcoming IPL season as well. MI have made some smart additions to their squad through the mega auction with Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Mitchell Santner joining the franchise, and will aim to reclaim their old glory with all the big stars acing their individual games.
Touted as a dynamic all-rounder in the IPL, he has showcased the incredible skill through his batting, bowling and fielding. Across his tenure as captain for both GT and MI, Pandya has led in 45 matches, securing 26 wins and facing 19 losses, with a reasonably well win percentage of 57.77.
Mumbai Indians commence their IPL 2025 campaign against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings on March 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, as the two most successful franchises take each other head on in their first encounter of the season.
By: Tulika Agarwal
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