My favourite cricketer was actually Wasim Jaffer: Hardik Pandya

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has made an unusual choice as his favourite cricketer growing up, stating that he places him above some of the legends of the game. The 28-year-old also added that he liked other cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, and Virat Kohli. Hardik also spoke about his relationship with his brother Krunal and their initial days of playing cricket together.

When the subject of the favourite cricketer is discussed, Indians from the 80s and 90s usually pick one among some of the icons of the game such as Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, etc. But, Hardik’s pick was former India opening batter and a legend of Indian domestic cricket, Wasim Jaffer.

The all-rounder said that he loved watching him bat. Jaffer played 31 Test matches for India during 2000-08 and scored 1944 runs. He was a prolific batter in the domestic circuit, scoring 19,410 runs in 260 first-class matches.

I used to copy Wasim Jaffer’s batting: Hardik Pandya

Speaking about Krunal, Hardik said that he and his brother are each other’s backbone. He said that if he were told six years ago that both of them would go on to play for India, he would have taken it. He added that the pair never had a sibling rivalry because their roles were always different.

“I liked Jacques Kallis, Virat, Sachin sir. There are so many greats that you can’t pick. My favourite cricketer was actually Wasim Jaffer. I used to love watching him bat. Someone I always placed him above other legends. Somehow, I used to copy his batting, but I was never able to get his class,” said Hardik, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“Krunal and I are each other’s backbone. We talk cricket, life and a lot of things. If you would have asked me six years before that both you brothers would play for India together, I would take it,” said Hardik. “Krunal and I were completely different cricketers. We never had a rivalry because our roles were always different.”

Hardik, in recent times, has been lauded for his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with Gujarat Titans (GT) both as a player and captain. He was also named Player of the Match for his all-round efforts in the final against Rajasthan Royals (RR), and for guiding his team to victory. He finished with the best bowling figures of 3 for 17 and also scored valuable 34 runs with the bat.