Hardik Pandya loves to be in the thick of things. The last eight months have been nothing but a roller-coaster ride for the star India all-rounder. From getting ruled out of the ODI World Cup to being named captain of the Mumbai Indians to getting booed to making a winning contribution for India at the T20 World Cup, Hardik's fortunes swung the entire arc. The drama didn't finish there. Hardik had to let go his aspirations of leading India full-time as the T20I captaincy went to Suryakumar Yadav, and days later, he confirmed that he and ex-wife Natasa Stankovic have separated.

And yet, that smile on Hardik's face remains pretty much intact. What is the guy even made of, huh? If you're looking for an answer, it's character. It's resilience. Hardik played the T20 World Cup knowing that he wasn't the most liked individual from the perspective of fans and that his marriage was falling apart. Still, Hardik kept his chin up and bowled and batted India to a World Cup win. Only he knew the value of the tears that were dripping down his cheeks during those unforgettable post-match visuals.

Even when he was in the middle of the most important tournament of his life, Hardik was oozing class off the field. Hardik was in awe of an Indian youngster who had made heads turn in IPL 2024 and made sure his message was conveyed to him. Young Nitish Reddy, who scored 303 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their road to the final, and later earned his maiden India call-up for the 5-T20I series against Zimbabwe, revealed that he was left stunned by a gesture from the senior pro.

"Hardik bhai sent me a message saying the intent and energy I was giving on the field was good and to keep respecting the game. He said we would talk soon. I was shocked to see his message after the IPL season, especially since he was busy with World Cup duties. Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes are my inspirations for being an all-rounder. I replied, thanking him for his message," Reddy told ESPNCricinfo.

Reddy's Virat Kohli moment which he'll cherish for life

Reddy's fanboying isn't limited to Pandya or Stokes. When you're an emerging batter in India, how can you not like Virat Kohli? Reddy, 21, cherished a precious moment during the IPL which probably was as big as earning his maiden IPL contract. In an interaction with HT, Reddy had expressed how he wanted Kohli to acknowledge him, and how the dream turned to reality after one of the IPL games.

"I really admire Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. I’ve been a huge fan of RCB for the last 10 years. In 2023, I had the chance to meet Virat Kohli. I didn’t have much to ask him; I just wanted to shake his hand and get his autograph. In 2024, I was hoping to play well against RCB so that Virat Kohli would notice my game. Though I didn't get to bat in that match, he remembered my name during the post-match handshake. That meant a lot to me," the youngster added.

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