Hardik Pandya’s remarkable comeback, stronger than ever!

Not very long ago, Hardik Pandya who was once compared to the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, was signed off as a “finished player” by several critics and experts after he suffered a big blow during one of his matches and was stretched off the field following a lower back injury during the match. Since then he had to move in and out of the physiotherapy room in order to regain his prior form. It wasn’t just physical strain that he was going through but it was laced with mental strain too and it was undeniably hard. Pandya did not back down though, He put in his time and effort in the two years he was absent from the game and mentioned his intentions of making India win some prestigious trophies, however instead of being motivated he was trolled endlessly by fans and experts when he made such statements. 

Time skip to 2022, Hardik Pandya had his answer ready as a slap for the trollers. He was roped in as the captain of the IPL’s new franchise Gujarat Titans. Although it raised many eyebrows, Hardik Pandya silenced his critics like an absolute stunner. Pandya was leading an IPL franchise for the first time- least to say no one had much expectations until of course Gujarat came to the field, and boy did they play! Gujarat went on to win consecutive matches with an intense ease, as much as turning the whole match around at the most unexpected time. 

The captain expressed that the road back home was anything but easy- because of the massive break in his career he had to push his boundaries but his vision kept him going. Before the start of the season he mentioned in an interview ‘I want to see how much my hard work pays off’. Well it sure did more than just pay off- Gujarat definitely exceeded expectations with their impressive wins over some of the most dominating teams. The hardships were tough but the team defied all odds- be it bat, ball or leadership, Hardik has led Gujarat Titans head on and has delivered and delivered well whatever the team had asked from him. 

Hardik Pandya’s significant dedication was shining through when after incurring even one loss the team would make a pretty impressive comeback in the very next match. The captain had taken a page out of Dhoni’s book for backing his players and a page from Rohit’s book to handle difficult situations with ease, needless to say, Pandya outdid both the captains this year. Gujarat was miles ahead of others, considering this was their debut season. They not only won matches consistently but became the first team to qualify for the playoffs as well as the finals and dominated the ultimate showdown with a terrific victory.

Gujarat Titans, the team no one expected much from, under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, the player critics had pushed away because of his break from cricket, emerged as the champion of the Indian Premier League 2022 tournament by defeating all the dominating teams including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Rajasthan. Thanks to his unaltered dedication, Hardik Pandya received a comeback call from the BCCI and his inclusion in team India for the upcoming series against South Africa.

His leadership has impressed one and all, especially the people who trolled him previously. He used his cards well. Hardik Pandya has become the 2nd player after Shane Warn, who won the IPL title right after becoming a captain, that too for a completely new franchise. Hardik Pandya has raised his benchmark even further and earned the respect of all. We heartily hope he keeps dominating further matches and reaches where his visions take him!