Hardik Pandya during Team India's match (File Photo)
Highlights
- Hardik Pandya is chosen as the captain of the newly formed Ahmedabad IPL franchisee.
- Hardik Pandya will be leading an IPL side for the first time.
Hardik Pandya was not retained by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2022 season but it was homecoming for the star all-rounder as he was picked for a staggering INR 15 crores by the Ahmedabad franchise.
The Gujarat born cricketer Hardik Pandya is excited as he will be playing for a franchise of his home state.
"To be very honest I was very excited when I got to know I will be playing for my state. It is my home state where I was born and brought up. It is going to be an exciting and new opportunity for me because I have always played as a player who wanted to take up a lot of responsibility and ownership of things when I do things and now when I have got the opportunity, I want to create some nice culture where all the players get equal opportunity-- one for all and all for one," said Hardik Pandya while speaking to ANI.
"It is a new pamphlet, a new legacy for us. Obviously I am very lucky for having played in Mumbai Indians where I learnt a lot from being a new kid coming to the IPL to now getting an opportunity to lead a team. It has been a dream for me and I am grateful for all the opportunities and chances given by the people," he added.
Hardik Pandya will not only be playing for Ahmedabad but will also be captaining the side and being from Gujarat makes him a local lad. The 28 year old has been a star performer in the limited overs format for both Mumbai and Team India and is now elevated as captain of an IPL franchise.
"The feeling is surreal to be honest. I have never imagined as I have said multiple times. If I look at 2015 what Hardik was and what Hardik has been now. It has been a journey where I never would have told people that this would have ever happened. As a player it has been a learning curve in everything in my life. Playing and learning new things from all the senior players and becoming a senior player to a guy to whom people come and started asking questions and now getting a new role. It has been a beautiful journey and I am very grateful for everything I have got and the journey does not stop now, it continues. It is a new phase and new turn to the life which I am very excited about," said the India all-rounder.
Hardik Pandya playing for another franchise means that he will be playing against his previous franchise Mumbai Indians where he will be up against his former Mumbai teammates Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Kieron Pollard.
"First I will say not just him but just as a franchise point of view and players point of view it was a tremendous journey for me. I mean a lot of things but everything I have got through Mumbai Indians. I have played India through Mumbai Indians. A lot of things in my life has changed playing for Mumbai. Franchise wise, I have been very grateful to every guy who was there to contribute or to help me to get better as a cricketer and yes I will miss it but now a new role is there and as they say, the show must go on." explained Hardik Pandya.
All are eager to see Hardik Pandya in action as he has been out of action since November 2021 after the 2021 T20 World Cup due to back injury and was also going through rehabilitation. But now the welcome news for all his fans is that he is back to training and is practising every day to get back to full fitness.
"Just getting fitter, healthier and looking after all the parts which I need to work at or look after, in a very nice space right now. Training hard, not taking anything forward, taking day-by-day and focusing on a lot of new things which is a nice thing, getting up early doing two sessions in a day. It is nice and healthy," he said.
Hardik Pandya will be leading an IPL side for the first time and moreover he will be leading a franchise which will be making its debut in IPL 2022.
Taking off from sport was to prepare for T20 World Cup 2022
Hardik Pandya has been out of action from cricket due to his lower back injury and rehabilitation of the same since November 2021.
The star Indian all-rounder last played an international match was a T20 international against Namibia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai.
The 28-year-old took an off not only to recover from injury but to also get fit before the T20 World Cup 2022 which will be played in Australia starting October 16.
"Yes, my goal has been when I started as a cricketer I always prepared one year before. For World Cup my journey when the last world cup was finished me taking off from the sport was to prepare for the world cup which is coming now and playing for India has been a dream and will always be my dream. No matter how many games or how many years I play for. I will always cherish and I will always respect that feeling. That feeling I mean is very difficult to explain but my plan is to make sure that I give my best during the World Cup," said Hardik Pandya while speaking to ANI.
Hardik Pandya has already started to train but the question arises is will he do both the jobs of batting and bowling or will be just do one of the things as he did not bowl much in IPL 2021 for Mumbai and even did not bowl much for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE due to injury.
"It is a surprise but the plan is yes. I have always worked hard to play as an all-rounder which I will always do. This break which I got was very important for me as a cricketer and as a person as well because staying away from your family in a bio-bubble, things get difficult as well. For me when I got this opportunity it kind of gave me time to reflect on a lot of things which I am doing right now and practice wise I have always believed in working hard which I always do and that never stops. I have always learnt one thing in my life where hard work never gets wasted no matter where. I might work hard for it I might not get a result here but I might get somewhere else. You do get a fair share of hard work."
Hardik Pandya in all probability will be going to be in action for his Ahmedabad franchise but the suspense of him playing in IPL 2022 as an all-rounder still remains. Whether he will contribute with both bat and ball is the biggest question.
- Reported by ANI
