Mumbai: Gujarat Titans under the leadership of Hardik Pandya lifted the IPL 2022 trophy in their maiden season, marking a dominating arrival in the tournament.
The journey of Hardik Pandya has been filled with ups and downs. One gets reminded of the Asia Cup when Pandya had to be taken away on a stretcher from the ground during the match against Pakistan, which he confessed later was a “career-altering” injury.
Hardik then had to shift his focus on batting and less on bowling. His inability to give a 100% on the ground started to affect his output. Hardik was dropped from the A to C category in the annual BCCI contracts. The biggest surprise came ahead of the IPL 2022 auction when Hardik Pandya was released by Mumbai Indians, a franchise that played an instrumental role in shaping his career.
While the experts were tossing him around as a “used-to-be” good player, Hardik had other plans. Pandya backed his ability and showed his capabilities in full swing. He had a tremendous season both with bat and bowl. The all-rounder captain led from the front and secured the trophy, playing an instrumental role in the final game against Rajasthan Royals.
Hardik made a comeback to the Indian squad for the upcoming series against South Africa. Krunal Pandya, brother of Hardik Pandya and slow-left-arm-orthodox spinner from Lucknow Supergiants, took to Twitter and left a heartwarming note for his brother.
In the tweet, he said that “People had written you off but you keep writing history. Wish I was there when more than a lakh people were cheering your name.”
He further added that “Only you know the amount of hard work that’s gone behind this success of yours – early mornings, countless hours of training, discipline, and mental strength. And to see you lift the trophy is the fruits of your hard work. You deserve it all and so much more.”
Legendary Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar appreciated the efforts and leadership skills shown by Hardik in this season. He also named him captain of his Playing XI team.