‘Wanted to be flag-bearer of my team’: Hardik Pandya

AHMEDABAD: Minutes after the 2022 season’s final was over, skipper Hardik Pandya was quietly caressing the IPL trophy flap as one of the BCCI employees was inscribing the name of new champion ‘Gujarat Titans’.

On May 29, 2022, India got another genuine white-ball captaincy option in Hardik. His calm leadership has blind-sided even the best of cricket analysts in the country, who would not have remotely considered him of being a left-field choice in their wildest of dreams even three months ago. But, dream has turned into a reality and Hardik has walked the talk as a leader with 487 runs and eight wickets. “I have always enjoyed responsibility and been someone who wants to lead from the front, so that I can set an example,” Pandya told reporters during a virtual conference. “If I want my team to function in a certain way, I need to be the first flag-bearer to show it the way. So that, it makes more sense if I do it first,” Hardik spoke with conviction.

Hardik, in his six-year start-stop international career, has played one ICC final (Champions Trophy in 2017) and two semi-finals (T20 World Cup in 2016 and ODI World Cup in 2019). Talking about his goals, he said: “It is about winning the World Cup for India, no matter what happens. I have always been that guy to put the team first, so the goal will be to see my team get it (global trophy) most.”

Hardik added: “No matter how many games I have played, I have always got support and love. In the short and long term, one goal is there. I want to win the World Cup.”

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