Team India all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya faced an awkward question during the mid-innings break of the match against Team Ireland in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Hardik Pandya was questioned about the crowd attendance at the newly built stadium in New York. , specifically mentioning Mumbai.
Hardik Pandya encountered backlash while leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. MI fans expressed their displeasure over Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma as captain. The all-rounder was booed by fans throughout the tournament, even at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
To make matters worse, the five-time IPL champions struggled under Pandya’s leadership. The Mumbai-based team became the first to be eliminated from the playoff race. Hardik also failed to deliver with either the bat or the ball. He scored 216 runs in 14 matches and took 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.75.
The 30-year-old cricketer redeemed himself for India in the World T20 2024. He scored 40 runs against Bangladesh in India’s only warm-up match. The right-arm pacer took three wickets for 27 runs against Ireland in four overs. The Men in Blue recorded an 8-wicket victory over Ireland in New York on June 5.
It’s always great to see the crowd – Hardik Pandya
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– Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) June 6, 2024
An anchor asked Hardik Pandya, “It feels like Mumbai here in New York. Is it fun?” The Indian vice-captain stated that an enthusiastic crowd supports Indians across the world and expressed gratitude for their support.
“It’s always great to see the crowd come and support us. We Indians are everywhere. We rule the world so it’s good to have so much support. So thanks to them,” Hardik said.
Hardik Pandya showed his bowling skills by dismissing Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher in the match. He became India’s third highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups after removing Mark Adair. He equaled the record of Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan (16 wickets) in the history of World T20s.
It’s always special to play for the country – Hardik Pandya
The Baroda-born cricketer expressed his pride in playing for the country and contributing to the World Cups. Hardik Pandya claimed that he adjusted the length of his bowling to the pitch conditions. He emphasized the need for discipline and precision on challenging surfaces.
“It’s always special to play for the country, it’s always good to play for pride. I’ve been able to contribute in World Cups; God has been kind. That was an outstanding effort from Axar; those are the catches when you give up your hand-eye coordination. “I really liked the first wicket, I didn’t hit the stumps often as I normally play with a short length. Today I needed to be fuller on this type of surface, you have to be disciplined and attack the right areas,” he added. Hardik.
Hardik Pandya is expected to play a crucial role for team India in their upcoming match against arch-rival Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9. The all-rounder delivered with bat and ball in the previous World Cup. Cup matches with Pakistan.
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