Hardik Pandya’s journey towards stardom began at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016, where he defended 11 runs in the final over against Bangladesh, and a decade later, he now features in the squad as a senior player in India’s title defence. Hardik Pandya reflected on navigating the highs and lows of his career and rediscovering himself as a cricketer.

ndia all-rounder Hardik Pandya looked back at the Bangladesh clash in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2016, which made him a household name:

“I think all these moments made me the kind of person I am. There were early challenges in my international career where I had to hold my ground and back myself. It was important to have belief. In cricket, even if there is just a one per cent chance, until the last ball of the match is bowled, the game is not over."

"That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over. He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes. When things turn around like that, they create wonderful memories. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one.”

On not utilising his full potential as a batter:

“I think the child in me, the cricket geek, who is always there, was focusing more on my skill set as a bowler. I have always had a lot of confidence in my bowling, but batting was something that was very close to my heart. After the last IPL, I realised that I really wanted to play to Hardik’s full potential. I think until now, I haven’t utilised more than 40 per cent of my batting potential, and that is genuinely honest feedback. What I know as a cricketer, what I imagine, what I manifest, and how I practice, have not translated into performance by more than 40 per cent. I took some time in my life to figure out how to bring that out. That’s when Mahieka came into my life. We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had. I went behind the scenes, worked really hard, and had a good amount of batting sessions. There were days when I was on the ground for six to seven hours. When I went to the NCA, I would go at 3:30 in the afternoon and finish at 12:30 at night. I was usually the last person to leave and shut the lights off.”

 

On rediscovering himself as the batter and the all-rounder, everyone knew he could be:

“I remember when I changed my batting technique and my swing, it felt like I had forgotten how to bat. But somewhere down the line, I knew I was heading in the right direction. I think that’s because I was ready for change and ready to take myself to the next level. I could have been very comfortable where I was, but I realised that was not the cricketer I wanted to be. I want to be the cricketer who unleashes himself, sees every opportunity in front of him, and grabs it to the best of his ability. Playing for the country has always been a matter of pride, but expressing that flair was very important to me. When everything finally clicked, I realised that this was what I had been missing. Because of the work I put in, it is now showing.”