‘THIS IPL WIN IS SPECIAL AS I GOT IT AS A CAPTAIN’
From the garish jackets, the blingy diamonds and flashy in-your-face lifestyle during initial years, Hardik Pandya’s transformation from a brash youth to a responsible man has been an incredible one. He showed great character as captain of Gujrat Titans t
Minutes after the final was over, Hardik Pandya was quietly caressing the IPL trophy flap as one of the BCCI employees was inscribing the name of new champions ‘Gujarat Titans’. It seemed as if an indulgent father was tousling his son’s hair with love. That trophy was indeed Pandya’s labour of love. For all the hardwork put in after some years of circumspection and uncertainties.
His wife Natasha hugged him. It was an act of assurance — that his support system is firmly behind him, earlier in ‘thin’ and now in ‘thick’. “I live and feed on love, which I keep getting from my family,” said the man, who won it for the Titans in first half itself with the wickets of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer.
The 34 runs in a low-scoring chase was just the cherry on top. His MS Dhoni style of calm leadership, has
blind-sided even the best of cricket analysts in the country, who wouldn’t have remotely considered him of being a left-field choice in their wildest of dreams even three months back.
But dream has turned into a reality and Pandya has walked the talk as a leader with 487 runs and 8 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 virtual conference. “If I want my team to function in a certain way, I need to be the first flag-bearer to show them the way. So that, it makes more sense if I do it first,”
Pandya spoke with conviction and all who listened believed him.
THIS IPL TROPHY IS SPECIAL
Lifting the IPL trophy isn’t a new experience for Pandya but guiding a new team in its first year is certainly super special and he makes no bones while admitting it. “This is a bit more special as I got it as a captain. But those earlier four (2015, 17, 19, 20 with MI) were equally special. I am insanely lucky to win five out of five IPLs, but this IPL trophy will create a legacy,” Pandya declared in his booming baritone. “Today was a day, we got such support with 110,000, we got all rewards for the hard work,” he added.
STRONG FAMILY, EMOTIONAL BONDS
From the garish jackets and the blingy diamonds and flashy in-your-face lifestyle during initial years, Pandya’s transformation from a brash youth to a responsible man has been an incredible one. Wife Natasha, son Agastya, brothers Krunal and Vaibhav, sister-in-law Pankhuri form his core circle, people who are like his protective human shields from the vulnerabilities.
“Natasha is someone very emotional and gets very happy when she sees me doing well. She has seen me going through a lot of things and putting in hard yards, no matter what has happened, I have worked hard, that is something I don’t speak about but she knows how much hard work goes behind the scenes,” the husband in Hardik was full of gratitude.
“My family has been my strong pillar. My brother Krunal, my sister-in-law Pankhuri, my other brother Vaibhav. Lot of people, who have been fantastic in ensuring that I stay in best mind space whenever crunch situations come. My brother (Krunal) as well cried, when I called him, my sister-in-law cried. Those were tears of happiness. I know that I can perform out there on the field as these people are all behind me,” he concluded.
“Natasha is someone very emotional and gets very happy when she sees me doing well. She has seen me going through a lot of things ... I have worked hard, that is something I don’t speak about but she knows how much hard work goes behind the scenes. My family has been my strong pillar. My brother Krunal, my sister-in-law Pankhuri, my other brother Vaibhav.”