“This too shall pass” - Hardik Pandya opens up on “difficult” phase
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has acknowledged the ongoing “difficult” phase of his career, saying he is focussing on his processes believing that “this too shall pass”. Things haven’t gone well for Pandya since the 2023 ODI World Cup where he suffered an injury during the campaign. A few controversies followed as he remained sidelined from domestic cricket while featuring in private T20 competitions.
IPL 2024 made it worse after his move from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI) failed. The new MI skipper was booed throughout at the Wankhede, couldn’t contribute enough with the bat, and ended the season at the bottom of the points table. There have been unsubstantiated rumors floating about his personal life for good measure.
"As they say, this too shall pass,” Pandya told Star Sports. “So coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard - hard work never goes to waste - and keep smiling."
"I believe you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won't get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for. So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier,” he added.
Pandya remains a key figure for India in T20Is, though. He showed that in the recent warm-up game against Bangladesh, scoring 40 (23) while batting at No. 6 and also taking a wicket.
My 16-year-old self is the biggest motivator: Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya also tried to derive motivation from his difficult journey as a teenager who rose from Baroda to international cricket based on his skills.
"Hardik Pandya right now at 30 is a much, much easier job compared to what Hardik Pandya was when I was 16," he said. "So I go back to the 16-year-old and I ask him how did you do it, why did you do it? At that point of time, I didn't have facilities or opportunities. Hard work gave me opportunities and opened doors for me. So I am in that zone right now [where] I am going and asking the 16-year-old - because he is my actual motivator, because if that guy hadn't set the platform I probably wouldn't have been here."
India will face Ireland in their 2024 T20 World Cup opener on Wednesday, June 5.