Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has shared a post on his social media about his “tough journey” amid speculations about his removal from the T20I captaincy. Hardik Pandya shared his journey of transformation since he suffered a serious injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil.
Hardik Pandya was forced to pull out of last year’s World Cup due to an ankle injury. The Baroda all-rounder recovered from the setback and went on to captain the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Pandya then played a major role in Team India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The 30-year-old cricketer put in an all-round performance at the T20 World Cup. Pandya took 11 wickets in eight matches and scored 144 runs at an impressive strike rate of 151.57. The all-rounder took three crucial wickets in the final match against South Africa and successfully defended 16 runs in the last over.
Hard work doesn’t go unnoticed – Hardik Pandya
On Wednesday, July 17, Hardik Pandya shared two pictures on Instagram and noted that it was a tough journey after the freak injury at the 2023 World Cup. Pandya expressed his joy at winning the T20 World Cup and stated that hard work does not go unnoticed.
Pandya posted about his fitness journey amid reports that Suryakumar Yadav would replace Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain. Pandya notably performed as Rohit’s deputy during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
““It was a tough journey after the freak injury in the 2023 World Cup but it was worth the effort with the T20 World Cup win. Results come as long as you put in the effort. Hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Let’s all do our best and work on our fitness,” Hardik wrote.
Hardik Pandya has seen ups and downs in the past few months. He faced a backlash after replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Mumbai Indians. Pandya was booed by the fans at all stadiums, including the Wankhede Stadium. The MI team finished at the bottom of the table with just four wins.
Will Suryakumar Yadav replace Rohit Sharma as T20I captain?
Following the retirement of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is, Hardik Pandya will take up a more senior role in the team. Pandya was the favourite to replace Rohit as India’s T20I captain. However, the latest reports suggest that Suryakumar Yadav is likely to lead the Indian T20I team in Sri Lanka.
“While Gambhir did not directly speak out for Surya in the squad, he made it very clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a hindrance. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official said.
Pandya brings more experience as a captain than Suryakumar. Pandya has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is. He also captained the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Meanwhile, Surya has captained India in seven T20Is. He led India to a 4-1 series win against Australia and a 1-1 draw in South Africa.
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