. New Delhi, Delhi, India
Who is Hardik Pandya?
Hardik Pandya in action for India. (Photo Credit: PTI)
- Hardik Pandya gained prominence through the Indian Premier League
- His father, Himanshu played a huge role in paving the way for his son's cricket career
- He has established himself as the national side's first choice all-rounder
Hardik Himanshu Pandya, or as we know him Hardik Pandya, has cemented his place in the Indian cricket team as an explosive all-rounder. He came into the spotlight when he smashed 61 runs in 31 balls for the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015.
Also Read - ICC T20 World Cup 2021 India vs Pakistan: When and where to watch
A memorable IPL season was followed by consistent displays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali (2016), he finished the tournament as the highest scorer for his side Baroda by scoring 377 runs in 10 innings. He also took 10-wickets in the tournament and played a big role in taking his team to the final.
Hardik’s father Himanshu played a huge role in paving the way for his sons (Hardik and Krunal Pandya) to be a part of the Indian cricket team. In spite of a financially weak state the brothers dedicatedly attended training sessions, travelling by a second-hand car.
Also Read - T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli's run-scoring affair against Pakistan
The all rounder dropped out of school in the ninth grade in order to shift his entire focus on the game and made steady progress. At the junior level he became popular for winning matches single handedly for his side.
He has turned out to be India’s first fast-bowling all rounder since the retirement of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev.
His aggressive batting mindset has faced flak from a number of people due to a one-dimensional approach which gets him in trouble on bowling-friendly surfaces. However, on days when he does not contribute with his bat, Pandya more than makes up for it by his bowling skills.
Also Read - T20 World Cup: Are India and Pakistan favourites owing to good T20I records?
In ODIs he has scored 1286 runs in 46 innings while picking up 57 wickets in 58 innings.
As for T20Is he has scored 484 runs in 33 innings and picked up 42 wickets in 45 innings.
Although he is not the best bowlers, he is an effective one who manages to unsettle established batters.
In 2020, Hardik got married to Serbian dancer and actress Natasa Stankovic and in July the couple announced the birth of their first child Agastya Pandya.