The India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday saw a thrilling end to a topsy-turvy contest. As the Men in Blue’s chase dragged on till the final ball of the match, many a prayer was offered and several nerves were wracked.
India won the match with four wickets to spare thanks to Virat Kohli’s 53-ball 83 – a knock the former India captain has called the best in his T20I career. As Ravichandran Ashwin scored the winning runs in the match, a teary-eyed Hardik Pandya ran down the pitch to congratulate his teammates on the emphatic win.
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Irfan Pathan who was hosting the post-match interviews, later caught the cricketer crying on the boundary line. Memories of his father who passed away in January 2021 from cardiac arrest came back to his mind as he celebrated the win with his teammates. As the former India pacer consoled the tearful Pandya, the Gujarat Titans all-rounder spoke about the sacrifices made by his father to build the cricket his and his brother’s cricket careers.
Watch the emotional interview here.
“I was only thinking about my dad,” Hardik Pandya said. “I have not cried about my dad. I love my son, but I don’t know if I will be able to do for him what my dad did for me. He moved cities for a six-and-a-half-year-old boy’s dream without knowing I’d get to where I am today. So this is for him.”
The 29-year-old took three crucial wickets and scored a 37-ball 40 to help India reach their target.
Here is a picture of Himanshu Pandya with Krunal and Hardik.
Himanshu Pandya, the father of Hardik and Krunal Pandya, passed away at the age of 71 on Saturday, January 16, 2021. Originally from the city of Surat in Gujarat, Himanshu Pandya moved to Vadodara so that Hardik and Krunal can have access to more conventional cricketing facilities.
He ran a car finance business in Surat which he closed down as a result of the move. He started again from scratch as saw tough times bringing up his children.
