Hardik Pandya a part of the World Cup 2019 squad was cheering for Team India in 2011
Hardik took such fast strides in his career that in a short span he is now a part of the Indian World Cup team.
It is similar to the stories of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. While the former had catered as a ball boy during the World Cup in 1987 which was played in India and Pakistan, the latter had seen India’s semi-final game from the stands in 1996. Later, they made their respective contributions as members of India’s World Cup teams. This year, Hardik Pandya is in a position to set another such example.
The 25-year-old Baroda all-rounder, who made a good comeback after his stints with injuries and off-field controversies and dazzled in the Indian Premier League (IPL) recently, will make his maiden World Cup appearance in England and Wales. Hardik will be a key member of Virat Kohli’s side and will have to play a crucial role if the Men in Blue aspire to win the coveted title for the third time.
Hardik has taken fast strides towards evolution
India are set to play New Zealand in their first warm-up game at the Kennington Oval on Saturday and on the eve of the game, Hardik revealed something interesting. The cricketer took to Instagram where he posted a couple of images. One was about him cheering India along with his friends for the 2011 World Cup at home.
The second one was a group selfie featuring Hardik himself along with former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah – all donning the World Cup jersey. The gap between the two clicks was eight years and they also showed how fat Hardik has evolved as an asset of the Indian cricket team.
“From cheering and celebrating India’s World Cup triumph in 2011 to representing #TeamIndia in World Cup 2019, it has been a dream come true! #cwc19,” Hardik captioned the collage.
Hardik had a magnificent run in the recent IPL, especially with the bat when he came out lower down the order and belted in style (had a strike rate of above 191). After the talented cricketer’s inconsistent appearances on the ground because of the recent disturbances, his form for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL will assure captain Kohli and the team management.
India will play their second warm-up game against Bangladesh on May 28 in Cardiff before launching their campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.
[interaction id=”5cd2bb96e66725e58af5134d”]
Download Our App