Hardik Pandya's emotional reply after being reminded of 'freak' ODI WC injury vs BAN: 'I was talking to Rahul sir...'

3 months ago | 32 Views

Hardik Pandya produced a strong performance in India's emphatic win over Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup on Saturday. The all-rounder smashed an unbeaten half-century, scoring exactly 50 off just 27 balls to ensure a strong finish for India, taking the side to 196/5 in 20 overs. He also picked a wicket in his first over, ending with figures of 1/32 as Rohit Sharma's men registered a 50-run win in Antigua.

This was the first time Hardik played against Bangladesh in any format since the ODI World Cup, where he endured a horrific injury against the side. While fielding off his own bowling, Hardik hurt his angle and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. He eventually made a comeback in this year's Indian Premier League, where he captained the Mumbai Indians.

While Hardik's performances for MI were forgettable, he has turned up in Indian colours at the T20 World Cup. He has picked 8 wickets so far in five matches, and has also made important contributions with the bat. Hardik was named the player of the match for his performance against Bangladesh and during the post-match interview, was reminded of the injury he endured against the side in the marquee fifty-over tournament last year.

In an emotional response, Hardik recalled a conversation he had with head coach Rahul Dravid after he made his comeback in the Indian team at the ongoing T20 World Cup.

“For me, I've always been very fortunate to play for the country. It was a freak injury which happened [in the 2023 World Cup]. I tried to come back, but god had some other plans. The other day, I was speaking to Rahul sir, and he said luck comes to people who work hard. That has stuck with me, and I just want to keep my head down and keep working hard,” said Hardik.

Hardik's injury at ODI WC

Ahead of the IPL season this year, Hardik had revealed he thought his injury at the World Cup was “just a niggle.”

"When I went in for scans, initially it just showed that it was just a niggle. But as a couple of hours progressed it showed the real picture as my ankle swole up. Straightaway the next day I went to NCA to make sure that I speed up my process to come back.

“We tried every day to make sure that I was available for the World Cup. We then had to take a call on the 12th day and the question was whether I wanted to represent India at 50 percent, the answer was no. India deserves better than that, I myself won't be able to justify me coming back.”