Mumbai: Why would an athlete’s hands-down shrug-of-shoulders expression muster 100 million views on Instagram? If it is Hardik Pandya, with the winners’ medal around your neck, at the Kensington Oval on the playing square minutes after the T20 World Cup final win in which he was India’s last-over hero, one should not be surprised.

Few would have seen this turnaround. Two months back, the all-rounder was a hate figure for his own Mumbai Indians fans. It didn’t help that his on-field returns were poor and the team’s results suffered. MI’s fans never warmed up to Hardik’s homecoming and elevation as captain replacing Rohit Sharma, the franchise’s most successful skipper.

Instead of building on the gains from his two impressive years with Gujarat Titans, whom he led to two IPL finals including a title, Brand Hardik took a beating. His social media following too took a dip and brands, responding to public sentiment, held back advertisements featuring the under-fire MI captain during IPL.

It wasn’t the easiest phase to navigate for Hardik’s brand managers, but troubleshooting comes with the territory. They played on the catch phrase ‘Apna time aayega’.

“Brands are not signed in 24 hours because if they sign you that fast, they will drop you that fast. Most brands get that,” said Nikhil Bardia, head, RISE Worldwide, who manage Hardik and Rohit Sharma among other Indian players. “We told them to slow down, hold back advertising spends during IPL and save them for the World Cup.”

By imparting crucial team balance to India at the World Cup and bowling that last over where he successfully defended 15 runs against big-hitter David Miller and South Africa, the country’s best pace bowling all-rounder was able to craft a redemption story for the ages, even going by his topsy-turvy career path.

In the last week alone, Hardik’s social media following has scaled up by 1.5 million and he has recovered all the followers he lost over the last six months. Instagram following is now a vital metric to measure brand value where Hardik’s 33 million followers place him next only to Virat Kohli and Rohit among active cricketers. Every commercial post of Hardik reportedly commands over ₹50 lakh.

“We didn’t react when we had a small percentage of hate and we will not react when we have 100 million views. We don’t raise the price situationally. The events have only reinforced that people believe in Hardik. They are back to loving him,” said Bardia.

The growth story of brand Hardik may have slackened in the last six months, but haven’t we seen it before: when Hardik returns to peak fitness and performance, his brand regains momentum. Even after a back injury, coffee misadventure and suspended time from cricket.

He returned to form and fitness, won an IPL title, lost form again, was heckled by the crowd only to return a World Cup winner, and is now ICC’s No.1 T20I all-rounder. Always a newsmaker; in the brand bazaar, free spirit generally beats prim and proper.

Over the last year, Hardik has signed or renewed eight new deals across categories, taking his portfolio to about 20 brands. From innerwear to smartphone to beverage to denim; at 30, Hardik is still the youth icon brands turn to.

Hardik’s social media handles have been buzzing with posts celebrating his performances in USA-West Indies. An old interview of Hardik wearing an unkept look and dishevelled hair expressing desire to play for India, is back on his timeline. There’s another post of Hardik with the World Cup trophy by his side, wearing sunglasses and a necklace over his vest, with Kanye West playing over the image.

“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven

When I awoke, I spent that on a necklace

Wait ‘til I get my money right

Then you can’t tell me nothing, right?”

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