"I was able to go 140 plus, 142 by pushing" - Hardik Pandya opens up on his commitment to fitness and training
Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has opened up on how he has consistently pushed himself to increase his fitness level to the peak. The 30-year-old suggested that the human body can transform into whatever anyone wants, but the hard work needs to be done properly.
Pandya had to deal with the agony of missing the 2023 World Cup after playing only two matches as he sustained an ankle injury during the fixture against Bangladesh. He didn't seem fully fit during IPL 2024 either, but hit top form in the subsequent World Cup, playing a crucial role in ending India's 11-year trophy drought.
During a recent media interaction, the seam-bowling all-rounder recalled that he realized the speed he can hit in 2017. As quoted by PTI, he stated:
"I used to bowl if I'm not wrong 130s; higher 130s, I was able to go 140 plus, 142 by pushing, that's when I realised by 2017 or not as soon as I started getting more more into my body, more knowledge about it and that's when I start pushing."
Pandya added:
"Start pushing your barrier every single day because the human body is such a lovely creation by god that it will mould however you want (it) to, however you want to have it, it's just that it just needs little hard work."
The Baroda-born cricketer recently shared a photo on Instagram from before the T20 World Cup 2024 and how he worked on his fitness ahead of the tournament.
"Very, very important to sometimes clean your mind" - Hardik Pandya
Pandya also recollected how as a 16-year-old he used to exceed his trainer's expectations and continues to push his limits even today. He added:
"The point that it is very, very important to sometime clean your mind as well, that your body has much more than what you can think and that video (he watched as a 16-year-old) stayed with me for so long that, every time in my life, when my trainer is telling me to do 10 push-ups, I've always ended up doing 15. And that has pushed my limits and I think slowly, everyone who wants to start with a fitness journey they should focus on that."
The star cricketer will be in action when the away T20I series against Sri Lanka gets underway on July 27, Saturday.