Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has shared a video about his inspiring journey on his social media after guiding the Men in Blue to ICC T20 World Cup 2024 glory. Hardik Pandya highlighted overcoming challenges before making a strong comeback for the Indian National Cricket Team.
Hardik Pandya faced injuries and controversies ahead of the T20 World Cup. Pandya made a remarkable comeback by leading India to their second ICC T20 World Cup title in the Caribbean. He successfully defended 16 runs in the final over against South Africa in the final match of the ICC tournament.
The comeback is greater than the setback – Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya took to Instagram to share a motivational message on his comeback. The video highlighted his recovery from injury, challenges in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and his eventual triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Make your comeback greater than your setback. Always.” Pandya wrote while sharing the inspiring video.
Hardik Pandya faced harsh criticism and boos from fans after taking over as captain of the Mumbai Indians from Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai-based team was the first to be eliminated from the IPL 2024 season. Pandya also struggled to perform with both bat and ball in this year’s Indian T20 tournament.
However, Pandya redeemed himself with impressive performances in the recent T20 World Cup. He scored 144 runs in six innings at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.57. The pacer took 11 wickets in eight games at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.64, with his best figures being 3/20.
India ended their 11-year ICC trophy drought by defeating South Africa by seven runs in the final in Barbados on June 29. Hardik was seen crying after the celebrations of the Indian team’s World Cup victory.
Hardik Pandya to lead Indian team against Sri Lanka
According to a PTI report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to rest captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. Hardik Pandya is a strong candidate to lead the team in their absence, and KL Rahul is also being considered for the post.
Hardik Pandya served as Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup. KL Rahul, on the other hand, captained the Indian cricket team during the last ODI series against South Africa in December 2023. The Men in Blue are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting from August 2.
The BCCI is likely to rest Jasprit Bumrah from the T20I leg of the Sri Lanka series. This period of rest is crucial for these veteran players as India has a busy schedule ahead, which includes home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, followed by the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia.
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