[WATCH]- Hardik Pandya Motivates Ashwani Kumar Ahead Of LSG IPL 2025 Clash

Mumbai Indians (MI) secured their first win of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, March 31. The star of the match was debutant Ashwani Kumar, who delivered a stunning performance to leave KKR reeling.

Ahead of their upcoming clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 4, the 23-year-old bowler received valuable guidance from captain Hardik Pandya. Hardik boosted Ashwani’s confidence by praising his efforts and assuring him of the team’s and support staff’s full support.

In a video shared by MI on social media, the skipper was heard advising him to “stick to the plan” in every game and continue the approach that worked in the previous match.

“Be well prepared. Put in all your effort and stick to the plan. Look forward to every game you play. Before every match, I don’t go in with expectations. I just try to execute my preparations.”

”Tujhe success kyu mila? (Why did you get success?) Because you stuck to your plans and kept bowling at the right line and length. You just follow your plan and the rest will follow,” said Pandya in a video posted by Mumbai Indians. 

You can watch the video here:

Just a message for every young & budding cricketer out there 🗣💙#MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai #TATAIPL #LSGvMI pic.twitter.com/K9Pawlg1tT

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 3, 2025

“You are here because you deserve it”- Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya subtly reminded the bowler never to question his abilities. He acknowledged that there would be matches where performance might dip but emphasized that it shouldn’t lead to self-doubt. In his pep talk, Hardik also shared examples from his own experiences to reinforce the message.

“Another thing that you must not do is doubt yourself. You are here because you are good. If you don’t believe you are the best, already there are 15-20 people in front of you – their fans, support staff – who are against you. Then you won’t be able to give yourself a chance,” added Pandya.

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