‘Huge respect’ – Krunal Pandya sends heartwarming message to brother Hardik after shining for India in T20 World Cup

IPL Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) all-rounder Krunal Pandya recently shared a heartwarming post on his Instagram account, praising his brother, Hardik Pandya, for his valiant efforts as he helped India win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on the Caribbean island on Sunday.

Hardik faced a lot of criticism after returning to Mumbai Indians as the team’s new captain, replacing Rohti Sharma. Mumbai Indians’ bottom-of-the-table finish to the season didn’t help his cause either, as he faced even more scrutiny from fans and media ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

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But the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team did not let the trolls and critics deter him from his task as he emerged as one of the most important members of the team that created history in Barbados by beating South Africa in the final.

Apart from his brilliant contributions throughout the month-long competition, Hardik also picked up the dangerous and important wicket of Heinrich Klaasen in the final over, turning the tide of play as India sealed a historic comeback against the Proteas.

Hardik’s return to the Indian team is one that most can only dream of, the grit and determination that the 30-year-old has shown is commendable. In his Instagram post, Krunal did not shy away from sharing Hardik’s journey and saying how proud he is to be his elder brother.

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Krunal Pandya’s Heartfelt Message For His Brother Hardik

In a long and emotional caption, Krunal first spoke about how proud he was of his brother’s achievement and that like any other Indian, he was fortunate to witness the team’s exploits in the Caribbean. Krunal also mentioned how tough the last few months had been for Hardik and how difficult it was for him to smile during post-match interviews.

The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From the boos to the bad things people said, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he was just a human being who had emotions too. He went through it all with a smile, even though I know how difficult it was for him to do so. He continued to work hard and focus on what he had to do to win the World Cup because that was his ultimate goal.

In the post, Krunal shared a series of pictures of Hardik from his childhood as well as his recent achievements with the Indian team.

After the massive win against South Africa in the final, Hardik was seen in tears, overwhelmed by the massive win and finally able to feel a sense of relief after winning the ultimate T20 prize after a constant barrage of criticism over the last few months.

After the retirement of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from T20I cricket following India’s triumph, Hardik is expected to be the main man leading the team in the shortest format in the coming years. As the vice-captain of the team, he is currently the most obvious choice to take over as the new captain after Rohit’s departure.