Hard work never goes to waste. Even though there have been ups and downs in Hardik Pandya’s career, the all-rounder has never left the battlefield. After a disastrous season with Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Hardik played a quick-fire knock against Bangladesh in the 15th warm-up game of the ICC T20 World Cup on Saturday.
Hardik‘s selection became a major talking point when India announced its squad for the T20 World Cup during the league stage of the IPL. The Mumbai Indians skipper was roped in as Rohit Sharma’s deputy for the ICC event co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies. However, Hardik failed to fire for MI and the record-time champions finished 10th in the IPL 2024. Talking about Hardik’s performance in the warm-up game, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu opined that the all-rounder has answered his critics in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
“There were many question marks over Hardik Pandya and they have been erased. The more you try to put Hardik Pandya down, the more he emerges and shines, just like a diamond shines after being continuously rubbed. Hardik Pandya is a great takeaway,” Sidhu told Star Sports.
Launching an all-out attack on the Bangladesh bowlers, Pandya smoked four sixes and fired two fours in his entertaining knock. Batting at the No.6 position, Hardik smashed a hat-trick of sixes against Tanvir Islam. “Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won’t get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for,” Hardik said.
Hardik batted at a strike rate of 173.91, and the middle-order star remained unbeaten on 40 off 23 balls. Rishabh Pant’s half-century, followed by the Pandya cameo, lifted India to 182-5 in 20 overs. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s Bangladesh only mustered 122-9 in 20 overs to lose the match by 60 runs at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.