Hardik Pandya rubbishes claims about quitting Mumbai Indians

One of the stars unearthed by Mumbai Indians during the last few editions of Indian Premier League (IPL), Hardik Pandya, dismissed the recent reports of him quitting the franchise which made him an instant star and forged the path into the national side.

Pandya claimed that he was upset to hear the news about him leaving the side which gave him everything in life. The next edition of IPL would give a fresh start to all franchise who would be able to retain only a number of players from their former squad. Hardik, along with teammates Jasprit Bumrah and influential skipper Rohit Sharma, are the hot favourites for the three-time IPL winning franchise as far as retention is concerned.

“I was disappointed when I heard this news because this is false. This team has given me everything. Why would I leave it? My life changed when I got a chance to play for MI (Mumbai Indians) and then I never looked back. I had a small failure and that’s why I learned to be even more professional. You need to understand that some things are bad. That’s how you improve in life,” stated Hardik Pandya according to News18.

About learnings from MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

The Baroda all-rounder then went on to state that he has learnt a lot from the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the team. “I have learned from both of them, they are amazing. I take a lot of advice from Dhoni. Virat is a gem of a guy. We keep on laughing, we keep on pulling each other’s legs. We have a very strong bond,” quoted Pandya.

About his break ahead of the South African series

Amongst the several revelations made during the interview, Hardik then went on to reveal that his body wasn’t up to the task and sustained several niggles due to the amount of the cricket being played. Therefore, Pandya asked for the break ahead of the all-important South African series.

“To be honest, I asked for it. My body wasn’t up to it, I was getting niggles because of the amount of cricket that I have played. I want to play cricket when I am totally up for it when I can give my 100 percent. I am lucky that I have got this break. I will train in the gym during this break and improve my fitness. I won’t lie, I am really excited about South Africa series. I would like to use this break to improve my fitness for the series,” concluded the demolishing all-rounder.