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Hardik Pandya: Stardom, Criticism, And Redemption

Hardik Pandya’s career has been a rollercoaster, marked by both triumph and tribulation. From an unknown entity to the future of India, Pandya’s journey is a testament to resilience. Despite being embroiled in controversy and facing the ire of fans, it was his unwavering determination that ultimately triumphed. This article talks about Hardik Pandya’s ascent to stardom, the controversies that shadowed his career, and his triumphant return from the brink.

Hardik Pandya’s Rise To Fame

Hardik Pandya comes from a well-off family, but that does not mean that he did not face his fair share of problems on his path to becoming a cricketer. The Indian star’s dad, Himanshu Pandya, owned a small car finance business. He originally spotted Hardik and Krunal’s talents, and to help them nurture their talents as cricketers, he shut down the business and moved to Vadodara.

For a while, everything seemed to be falling into place. Hardik Pandya’s father took up odd jobs to support the family, but then tragedy struck. He suffered two heart attacks in a single night, followed by a third six months later, plunging the family into a severe financial crisis. This was the darkest period in Pandya’s life, but it all paid off when he was finally selected by Mumbai Indians in 2015.

Hardik Pandya in GT Interview

Rohit Sharma helped me a lot in grooming my career. He treated me like his younger brother since the day Mumbai Indians picked me. He used to call me Pandu in 2015 and I have always loved it. Rohit bhai always had faith in my abilities.

Hittu🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4pT5Qe1te8

— 𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐇 🇮🇳 (@Akarsh_10_) March 31, 2023

The Indian star finally got his breakthrough in 2015. He impressed with bat and bowl in IPL 2015, and everyone could see that the Mumbai Indians had found yet another future star. His performances that season earned him a spot in the national team in 2016. In the blink of an eye, Hardik Pandya went from being a struggling nobody to a star in the making. Pandya’s aggressive batting style, alongside his ability to contribute with the ball, made everyone a fan. He had several match-winning performances for which a lot of praise was showered upon him.

The Fall From Grace

Credit: NDTV Sports

While Hardik Pandya’s ascend to fame is a story in itself, it does not end there. He faced a lot of setbacks in his career as well. He dealt with various injuries on a regular basis and struggled to maintain his fitness consistently. The biggest controversy surrounding his career, however, came in 2019. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul were invited by Karan Johar to participate in an episode of the TV show ‘Koffee With Karan’. This episode aired on 6th January 2019, and with it came a storm of controversy and criticism.

While KL Rahul remained level-headed and chose to mince his words, Hardik Pandya ended up making certain distasteful statements which is not expected from a public figure. Pandya spoke about how he lost his virginity and told his parents, ‘ Main karke aya hai aaj’ on returning. He also spoke about how he likes to observe women and how they move along with many other things. These statements were met with instant backlash from the public. This led to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul getting suspended from the Indian team. The duo was also sent back from Australia, where they were playing a series against the Aussies when the episode aired.

There was even a case registered against the duo for their controversial statements about women. It took three years for the court to dispose of the case after finding them ‘innocent’. Luckily for both of them, they were able to leave this incident behind them and concentrate on cricket. This episode soon became a thing of yesterday in the public’s head, and they seemed to forget that this incident had happened. However, this was not the end for Hardik Pandya and controversies.

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Hardik Pandya stayed with Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2021. However, ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, they had to release him, and Gujarat Titans ended up taking advantage of this and selected Hardik Pandya as the player they wanted to captain and lead the franchise. He had a successful time with them, leading them to victory in their first-ever season in the Indian Premier League. They reached the finals again in IPL 2023 but lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final. It looked like everything was going well with Pandya, and he was helping transform Gujarat Titans into an IPL giant. However, it turned out his heart was still stuck in Mumbai.

Ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, it was announced that Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans had struck a deal. There would be an all-cash trade, which would see Hardik Pandya rejoin the Mumbai Indians in exchange for ₹15 Crore. The entire Mumbai Indians fan base was ecstatic with this trade and were very happy to see Hardik Pandya return home. However, this feeling did not last for long. It turned out that the Mumbai Indians had brought Pandya back as they were looking for a replacement captain for Rohit Sharma. When Pandya was announced as the captain over Rohit Sharma, all hell broke loose.

5.25pm – Hardik Pandya retained by Gujarat Titans.

7.25pm – Hardik Pandya traded to Mumbai Indians.

– IPL AT ITS PEAK…!!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FquR3XFfK3

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 26, 2023

Rohit Sharma being replaced as the Mumbai Indians captain came as a shock to the fans. They all speculated that Hardik Pandya must have made some deal to be the captain and only agreed to return if that was the case. The Mumbai Indians fans who had always been behind Hardik Pandya suddenly turned against him. What ensued after this incident was a storm of abuse and online hate for the player. The MI fans started using terms like ‘chapri’ and started singing hurtful chants towards the Indian all-rounder.

While Pandya was already knee-deep in hate and abuse, it looked like the torrential downpour had gotten even worse once news broke out that Hardik Pandya and his wife Natasa Stankovic were getting divorced. While this news was not confirmed then, everything pointed to this happening sooner or later. It looked like Murphy’s law was in full flow in Pandya’s life, and anything that could go wrong was going wrong. However, instead of hitting back at the criticism, Pandya decided to endure all of it and wait for a chance to make his comeback.

The Redemption

Hardik Pandya’s comeback will go down as one of the best redemptions in the history of cricket. The Indian star endured the abuse, the hate, and all the pain both on and off the field without saying a word. Instead, he let his performances speak for him. Pandya ended up coming through on the biggest stage of it all, the World Cup. The all-rounder contributed with both the bat and the ball and helped India win many crucial matches. India went on to lift the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, ending an 11-year drought of ICC trophies.

HARDIK 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉' PANDYA 💙

Cometh the hour. Cometh the man. #T20WorldCup #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/4gBsn1C6ot

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) June 29, 2024

The Indian star was interviewed after the World Cup final, and he spoke about how he had to endure all the abuse and how it had been a hellish six months for him both on and off the pitch, but he did not say a word about it and how he was just concentrated on helping India win the World Cup and helping the nation get the trophy they so desperately wanted.

HARDIK PANDYA COMING TO MUMBAI WITH THE T20I WORLD CUP TROPHY. 🫡

– One of the greatest moments ever. pic.twitter.com/UQMCB40bqD

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 4, 2024

Despite the rumours of a rift between Pandya and Rohit Sharma due to Mumbai Indian’s captaincy, Rohit Sharma could be seen giving Pandya a hug and a kiss during the interview, showing that nothing else mattered except for the fact that Pandya had helped India lift the World Cup.

When the Indian team came back to Mumbai, it was Hardik Pandya who entered holding the trophy to complete his comeback in the most spectacular way. At the presentation ceremony held at Wankhede Stadium, the very place the entirety of Mumbai had booed him just a few weeks back, Pandya received a spectacular standing ovation, and chants of Pandya rang around the stadium. Hardik Pandya’s redemption is a story for the ages, and he will hope that his career only keeps rising upwards from here on out.

For more news and updates on Hardik Pandya, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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