Emotional Hardik Pandya breaks silence on 'unfair' last six months, says 'I knew there would be...'

NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Hardik Pandya has expressed confidence in his abilities despite the challenges faced in the months leading up to the T20 World Cup. His contributions during the tournament proved crucial for the team’s success.

Throughout the event, Pandya showcased his all-round skills, accumulating 144 runs with the bat and taking 11 wickets with his bowling. His standout performance came in the final against South Africa, where his three for 20 played a pivotal role in India’s hard-fought seven-run win in Barbados.

WISH TEAM INDIA TO WIN T20 WORLD CUP

“It was very emotional, something was wrong but it was something the whole nation wanted,” Pandya told the broadcaster after the match, according to PTI.

“Especially for me, after six months I haven’t said a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there would be a time where I could shine.

“An opportunity like this makes it all the more special,” said Pandya, who was the target of crowd ire in the last IPL after replacing Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians captain.

“We always believed, stayed calm, let the pressure come to them. Lately, I knew I had to execute my plans. I’ve been in that situation, I enjoy the pressure situation,” he added.

Jasprit Bumrah, the pace ace who took an impressive 15 wickets throughout the tournament, attributed his success to maintaining a clear and composed mindset. He stressed the importance of remaining focused and balanced during the competition.

“I tried to stay calm. We play this sport for this, I’m really over the moon, my son is here, my family is here, we worked really hard for this, there is no better feeling than that,” he said .

Axar Patel, an all-rounder who contributed 47 crucial runs in the championship match, expressed his desire to make a significant impact for his nation.

“It means everything to me. When I came to this World Cup, the last few years I was injured and I didn’t get that performance. I wanted to do something for India. I feel proud,” he said.

“I tried to keep it simple. I just thought about another game. It worked for me. When I went to bat, I didn’t think about what would happen if I got out,” he said.

Talking about the combination of captain Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid, Patel said, “Rohit is amazing. He led India very well in this tournament. Rahul bhai asked us to enjoy, not to take pressure.

“I thought I was going down the order. When we lost three wickets, Rahul Bhai suddenly asked me to stand up. I didn’t have time to think about batting and that helped me,” Patel described his innings.