Since making his debut in 2016 for India, Hardik Pandya has become one of the most popular cricketers in the country. In just 4 years, Pandya has managed to make the headlines numerous times. Whether it be through his destructive batting on-field or his upfront and lavish lifestyle on various social media platforms.
Love him or hate him but Hardik Pandya surely can never be ignored. Born on October 11 1993, the cricketer from Baroda was far away from all the glitz and glamour during his childhood. He was born in Surat which is located in the state of Gujarat. Pandya was always fond of cricket and always had this vision of representing his country of the world stage.
He represented Baroda in domestic cricket but his career took off when he made his debut for Mumbai Indians in the 2015 IPL. Pandya is now the leading all-rounder of India and now everyone has realised that he is different from the rest.
The 26-year-old has an interesting personality that never shies away from. Whether it making controversial comments during a chat show on television or announcing his father on social media he has done it all.
Here are 7 Interesting Facts About Hardik Pandya:
7. Education Qualification
Hardik was never a bright student when it came to studies. The only dream he always had was of playing for the Indian team. As a result his primary focus always remained on the game that he dearly loved.
He quit studies after he failed to pass his 9th standard exam. After that Pandya decided to let go of studies and devote all his time to cricket.
6. Initial Coaching
Few would know that Hardik started his career under the coaching of former India wicket-keeper batsman Kiran More. The cricketer started training at Kiran More’s cricket academy. More allowed Pandya to practice at his academy without charging anything from the cricketers for three years.
5. He was a Leg Spinner
Currently, a destructive fast bowling all-rounder Pandya wasn’t always like that when he started playing. This would surprise many that initially, Pandya was a leggie. During a match at his training academy, his side was one fast bowler short.
That is when Kiran More asked whether Pandya was interested to play as a fast bowler and rest is history.
4. Ranji Trophy Debut
For any youngster, a call up to play the Ranji Trophy for their domestic side is always a big deal. Hardik made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2013 when he was just a teenager.
He played is first Ranji match against Madhya Pradesh where he, unfortunately, underperformed in both innings. Pandya scored 1 and 3 respectively in both his innings but Baroda still managed to win the game.
3. IPL Debut
IPL in 2015 was a defining year for Hardik Pandya as he played for one of the most popular teams in the T20 league. Hardik was bought by Mumbai Indians at a very low base price.
The hard-hitting batsman impressed everyone as he became part of the IPL winning side in his very first season.
2. Father’s love towards cricket
If it wasn’t for Hardik’s father Himanshu Pandya he would not have been playing for India. His father always loved cricket and wanted his boys to play it for a profession. Even after belonging from a humble background his father took the risk and shifted from Surat to Baroda.
The two Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal then started training and became more focused about the game.
1. Nickname
Every cricket player has various nicknames by which their teammates call them. Hardik has a nickname of his own that he got from the Mumbai Indian camp during an IPL season.
He was nicknamed ‘Rockstar’ due to his playing style and body language by his teammates.