There have been quite a few stories of cricketers coming from humble backgrounds and going on to make it big at the international arena. Hardik Pandya and his brother Krunal Pandya are of this ilk. Hardik Pandya might be the hottest property in Indian cricket at the moment but it”s his past who has made him stronger.

A few years ago, Hardik Pandya shared a story about their humble financial background. Pandya recalls those days when he and his brother could afford only maggi noodles for snacks.

Hardik Pandya reveals how he saved his car

Speaking to Gaurav Kapur on the show Breakfast with Champions, he revealed a very interesting story. Hardik Pandya mentioned how he hid his car because he could not pay the EMI for 2 years.

“I have struggled for three years. We used to save Rs 5 and Rs 10. I still remember in IPL, we got around Rs 70 thousand and we thought we would survive on it for some time. Because we were struggling for almost three years then. We had not paid EMI for two years.

We were smart, we used to hide our car as we didn’t want the car to go. Everything we earned in those three years was supposed to be saved for the car rather than having something new for us or buying something. It was just car’s EMI and food that mattered to us at that time,” Hardik Pandya said.

“God is kind. My first year, we won the IPL and then I got a cheque of Rs 50 lakhs. From there, I got a car for free and I bought a new car as well. Imagine, three months back we were struggling and fighting for money and within three months I have Rs 50-60 lakhs in my pocket. It was all about saving at that time,” Hardik added.

Hardik Pandya was bought by Mumbai Indians for 10 lakhs in 2015 and retained by them for 20 lakhs. Hardik was unsold at IPL auction 2014. In 2017 his impact on Indian cricket has been extraordinary. Hardik has scored 539 runs at a strike rate of 120.58 with 30 sixes. He also picked up 27 wickets with the ball and finished as the second leading wicket-taker after Jasprit Bumrah.

Since then, his stocks have one gone higher and currently, he is the best all-rounder in the country. Hardik Pandya, who underwent surgery last year, has fully recovered and is currently biting his nails to make a return to the field.