Hardik Pandya has finally broken his silence. He has opened up on the kind of attacks he faced after becoming the captain of Mumbai Indians last season.
The star all-rounder said that for him this time was “more about surviving than winning.”
Hardik was heavily criticised after taking over the captaincy of MI from Rohit Sharma last season. He was badly trolled by fans on social media and was also booed on the field.
Hardik said, cricket became my best friend
During a conversation on Star Sports, Hardik said, “It is always like this when you don’t leave the battlefield. For me, it was just about surviving, maybe not about winning. That year was when I had to stand my ground for the longest time.”
He further said, “I realized that cricket is going to be my best friend, and it will get me out of this difficult phase. I kept trying continuously, and when all my hard work paid off, I felt that it was no less than a film story.”
Last season, the MI team finished at the bottom of the points table. It was a very difficult time for Hardik in terms of both captaincy and performance.
According to Hardik, this ups and downs in his career can only be called a game of fate.
He told, “I just kept playing with honesty and hard work, but I did not know when the circumstances would change. This was a story written by God, and everything changed in just two and a half months.”
Winning the T20 World Cup 2024 proved to be a game-changer for Hardik.
He says, “The love we got after winning the World Cup was a complete 360 degree change for me.”
Mumbai Indians will start their campaign in IPL 2025 on March 23 against Chennai Super Kings. However, Hardik will not play in the first match. The first match of the season will be played between RCB and KKR at Eden Gardens on March 22.
