Hardik Pandya: Unsold in 2014, IPL-winning captain in 2022

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is using excessive on success after main an unfancied Gujarat Titans, debut staff, to a title win on the earth’s most dear T20 franchise event. Hardik’s is yet one more success story in Indian sport the place a traditional middle-class boy has defied the percentages to carve out a distinct segment for himself.

Much earlier than being Hardik Pandya the “India star”, he was a traditional Baroda man, an unknown face on the home circuit, who went unsold within the IPL 2014 auctions. But luck did favour him within the 2015 public sale when he was purchased by the Rohit Sharma-led MI franchise for his base value of Rs 10 lakh. From 2015 to 2021, Hardik scored 1,476 runs at a strike fee of 153.91 together with taking 42 wickets and was an important a part of MI’s title win in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 editions, respectively.

PANDYA THE CHAMPION

Before IPL 2022, Pandya had featured within the Indian Premier League (IPL) last on 4 events with the Mumbai Indians and had completed on the profitable aspect in every of them. Hardik’s staff capped off a dream marketing campaign in its maiden season by lifting the Indian Premier League title with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals within the last at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Thus, he grew to become the primary participant whose IPL journey started as an unsold participant in 2014 and went on to steer a staff to the title win.

Pandya, who had received the trophy 4 occasions with Mumbai (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), additionally received it with Gujarat Titans, going previous MS Dhoni who had 4 titles to his title. (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021).

Hardik Pandya additionally equaled Anil Kumble and Rohit Sharma as he received the person of the match award within the last. He grew to become the third IPL captain to seal the MOM award in an IPL last. Kumble had completed with 4 for 16 in 2009 last for RCB towards Deccan Chargers, whereas Rohit had received the award following his 26-ball fifty for Mumbai Indians towards CSK in 2015 last.

LEGENDS HAIL HARDIK

In the wake of the Titans’ triumph at their residence floor in Ahmedabad, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar stated Pandya can be a worthy option to comply with in his footsteps.

“When you have leadership qualities, it automatically opens the door for honours at the national level to be able to captain the Indian national team in the near future,” the batting nice stated.

“The way he has led the team, the way he has got them together, the way he has got them to gel together means he has got leadership qualities,” he instructed Star Sports.

“Not just my estimation, but everybody’s estimation. This was an aspect of his game which nobody had too much information about.”

The nationwide aspect are at the moment led in all codecs by Rohit Sharma, who was appointed earlier this 12 months after Virat Kohli’s ODI sacking, however at 35 he’s unlikely to be a long-term captain and is being rested for a house collection towards South Africa in June.

Rohit’s five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians had a disastrous season, ending backside of the desk.

DREAM COME TRUE

A tough-hitting middle-order batsman and a quick bowler, Pandya has performed 11 Tests, 63 one-day internationals and 54 Twenty20 matches for India.

A again damage stored him out after the T20 World Cup final 12 months however he proved his health with 487 runs and eight wickets in 15 IPL matches to earn a recall for the five-match Twenty20 collection towards South Africa starting on June 9.

He may very well be given his first style of nationwide management in two T20s in Ireland later in June, in line with Indian media studies.

Pandya stated he had “always enjoyed responsibility” and “it kind of gets the best out of me”.

His subsequent objective, he instructed reporters after the IPL victory, was “absolutely to win the World Cup for India no matter what happens.

“Playing for India has all the time been a dream come true, regardless of what number of occasions and what number of video games I’ve performed. And the sort of love and help I’ve received it is solely from the Indian staff’s perspective.”