'I really didn't know what misogynistic meant' - Hardik Pandya on Koffee with Karan controversy

It’s been nearly two years since Hardik Pandya found the entire world against him after his controversial comments in chat show Koffee with Karan. The India all-rounder had attended the show with his teammate KL Rahul and regretted his decision soon. Some of his comments on the show were truly controversial.

He was widely branded a ‘misogynist’ and ‘sexist’. Hardik faced disciplinary action from the BCCI too. He and Rahul were sent back home from the Australia tour in the wake of the controversy. Not only that, Hardik and Rahul were also fined Rs 20 lakh each by the BCCI Ombudsman D.K. Jain for their sexist comments.

But the all-rounder showed remarkable maturity and composure to bounce back from the controversy and it won’t be wrong to say that his performance on the cricket field has somewhat made the world forget about the controversy. The India ace cricketer is fast becoming one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world and his recent displays in IPL 2020 and Australia are a testament to that.

Hardik Pandya on misogynist tag

The world might have forgotten the controversy but the wounds of the same are still fresh for Hardik Pandya. In a recent interview with the Times of India, the 27-year-old spoke about the same. He insisted that while the world was calling him a misogynist, he had no idea about the same. He pointed out how his life is inspired by several women.

“I really didn’t know what ‘misogynistic’ meant. At first, I laughed thinking it was some word being used to make fun of me. Then a friend said, it means “someone who strongly dislikes women,” he told TOI.

“How can I dislike women? Mom, didi (sister), bhabhi (sister-in-law), Natasa – they’re all women. I adore them. My home is all about women. We are, because they are,” he added.

Hardik further opened up on his struggles after the controversy. He revealed how he had locked himself up in a room after facing the backlash. It was his family’s support that helped him handle the situation and bounce back.

“For the first time, I wasn’t in control of my own life. Everything around me started to crumble. I had to lock myself up. If not for my family, I’d have lost a great deal of everything. They were and continue to remain the backbone – the women in my family,” he said.