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Hardik Pandya , the Indian all-rounder has been in the headlines for last couple of months due to several different reasons. While his transfer to Mumbai Indians and then being named their skipper, did not rest well with a lot of fans and pundits despite Rohit being MI’s most successful captain, undoubtedly. But as things move on and with his return to the Indian setup, Hardik aims to bring fond memories along with the T20 world champions titles back home.
Pandya, who featured in India’s warm-up match against Bangladesh ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 opener, played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 40 along with getting a wicket to his name. After the match, which Indian won by 60 runs, the Indian all-rounder opened up on the “difficult times” he has faced over the past couple of months.
"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," Hardik Pandya said on Star Sports. "So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier," he added.
However, he agreed that these things are part and parcel of life and this time will also go. "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 further asserted. "As they say, this too shall pass. So coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard - hard work never goes to waste - and keep smiling," he concluded.
The 30-year-old is set to play a crucial role in India’s line-up for the T20 World Cup 2024. The Rohit Sharma-led side, who are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland will begin their campaign on June 5 as they take on Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
