After a hectic but stunning Indian Premier League (IPL) schedule, Hardik Pandya is set to commence the international roster for India. Pandya is back on the national side after enduring tough injury concerns and he is back in grace.
Currently, the Indian all-rounder is with the Indian Cricket team, preparing for the imminent white-ball series against South Africa. India will play 5 T20I games between June 9 to June 19, in Delhi, Cuttak, Vizag, Rajkot, and Bengaluru, respectively.
Ahead of the series, Hardik Pandya, speaking on the SG podcast, stated that he was a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis, during his early days, but he admitted that it was Wasim Jaffer, whom he always placed above other legends. The Titans skipper stated:
“Like everyone, I had favorite cricketers. I liked Jacques Kallis, Virat, Sachin sir. There are so many greats that you can’t pick. My favorite cricketer was actually Wasim Jaffer. I used to love watching him bat. Someone I always placed him above other legends. Somehow, I used to copy his batting, but I was never able to get his class.”
Wasim Jaffer, considered India’s domestic legend, has 19410 first-class runs in his account. While, in international Tests, Jaffer managed to score 1944 runs in 31 matches. The Mumbai cricketer has also played a couple of One-Day Internationals for India.
“We never had a rivalry” – Hardik Pandya on his relationship with brother Krunal
Hardik Pandya also asserted that he never had any rivalry with brother Krunal given that they had different roles as a cricketer.
“Krunal and I were completely different cricketers. He was a left-handed batter who could bowl while I used to bowl leg-spin and bat right-handed. He used to bat at 4-5 and I used to bat at No. 3. We never had a rivalry because our roles were always different. I used to play Under-16, he played Under-19. But we were there for each other so make sure we improve in all departments,” he added.
The 28-year-old was released by Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2022 and was allowed to lead his home side, Gujarat. Leading from the front, Hardik Pandya guided Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden IPL title, that too in the debut season.
Pandya too, had a spectacular season as an all-rounder, overall. Considering the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, Pandya will certainly try to carry on the momentum, for his side.
Written by Prachi Pisal
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