For Hardik Pandya, all-rounder and wizard, the last few months have been rife with ups and downs. His freak ankle injury in the World Cup in 2023 had almost entirely benched him midway through the season. That was until early this year, when he made his much anticipated comeback to cricket with the Indian Premier League.
Like any good redemption arc, it began with him hitting an all-time low. After the ankle injury benched him, his feeble comeback in November was met with controversy as he was selected as captain for Mumbai Indians, succeeding the fan favourite Rohit Sharma. Public scrutiny seemed to weigh heavy on the new captain, and MI finished the season with a dismal performance. But redemption was not too far, and it came with the T20 International World Cup, where Hardik’s spectacular performance had the country on its toes and once again, he became a fan favourite as Team India lifted the T20I trophy after more than a decade.
So, Hardik’s emotional post seems only fair as he shares how he’s turned it around for himself in the last eight months. With hard work and dedication, constantly trying to get ahead of his ghastly injury at the ODI World Cup. Over the months, he has especially highlighted the role fitness has played in getting his mojo back and also in his physical rehabilitation.
“Was a difficult journey after the freak 2023 WC injury but well worth the effort with the T20 WC win. The results come as long as you put in the effort. Hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Let’s all try our best and work on our fitness,” Hardik wrote.
Cricketers, who are almost gods in a country like India, sharing their vulnerabilities with public is a mark of true sportsmanship – as proved by Pandya, who has been a role model for many, on and off the field.
