Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflects on his younger self to navigate through the challenging phase in his career. After a disappointing IPL 2024 season as the Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya seeks inspiration from his 16-year-old self to regain his form and confidence.
Hardik Pandya is a name that electrifies Indian cricket fans. His image is one of powerful shots that sail over the boundary ropes and fiery fast bowling that dismantles batting lineups. Pandya’s T20 career has been a rollercoaster ride. His debut for India in 2016 was a spectacle – a belligerent knock of 27 runs from just 14 balls against Sri Lanka announced his arrival on the big stage. This coincided with the entry of the Gujarat Lions into the IPL that same year. Pandya became their star player, leading their bowling attack and showcasing his six-hitting prowess.
The recently concluded IPL 2024 season painted a worrying picture. Returning to the Mumbai Indians after his captaincy stint with the Gujarat Titans, Pandya’s role changed slightly. He was expected to be a more impactful finisher with the bat and contribute with his medium-pace bowling. Unfortunately, his batting form was a cause for concern. The explosiveness of previous seasons was missing, with him getting dismissed cheaply on multiple occasions. His highest score of just 31 runs in 12 matches fell well below expectations. Injuries continued to plague him, limiting his bowling contributions to just 4 wickets in the entire season. This underwhelming performance led to questions about his effectiveness as a bowling all-rounder and even his captaincy credentials for the Mumbai Indians.
What Hardik Pandya Said
In an interview with Star Sports ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Hardik Pandya spoke in detail about overcoming his challenging phase.
He said,
“Hardik Pandya right now at 30 is a much, much easier job compared to what Hardik Pandya was when I was 16. So I go back to the 16-year-old and I ask him how did you do it, why did you do it? At that point of time, I didn’t have facilities or opportunities. Hard work gave me opportunities and opened doors for me. So I am in that zone right now [where] I am going and asking the 16-year-old – because he is my actual motivator, because if that guy hadn’t set the platform I probably wouldn’t have been here.”
Hardik Pandya acknowledged experiencing a difficult period in his career but expressed confidence in his ability to overcome it as he has done before. Despite a subpar IPL 2024, the all-rounder remains a crucial player for the Indian squad in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Hardik added,
“Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won’t get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for. At the same time these things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases that come and go. That is fine. I have gone through these phases many times and I will come out of it as well.”
Hardik has begun his T20 World Cup campaign on a high note with a 23-ball 40 in India’s warm-up game against Bangladesh.
The Men in Blue are set to face Ireland in their tournament opener in New York on Wednesday, June 5.