Sachin Tendulkar had foreseen the rise of Hardik Pandya

Team India has found a very able all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. He was arguably the only saving grace in the recent embarrassing defeat of the Indian team in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. Pandya hit a brilliant 76, which was the fastest fifty in the history of the finals of an ICC event. The rise of Pandya has been immense. He was first seen in the Indian Premier League when he had turned up for the Mumbai Indians in the 2015 edition of the tournament.

Recently, as per the quotes in the Deccan Chronicle, Hardik Pandya recalled that the mentor of the Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar, always had faith in him. He recalled the moment when he first met the batting legend. In a very funny incident, Pandya had apparently dropped his food plate when Sachin had said ‘hi’ to him at a team event.

“My moment in seventh heaven was when everyone from the Mumbai Indians met for a get together and it was my first time, back then. So I was busy eating when suddenly someone taps on my shoulder and turn around to see Sachin standing there saying ‘hi’ to me,” Hardik Pandya quoted.

Sachin predicts the rise

Sachin Tendulkar had then given Hardik Pandya some words of advice which the all-rounder seems to cherish. He revealed that Sachin had asked him to continue batting with the same form. He had even predicted that Pandya would make it to the Indian team if he continues to play the same way. And as things turned out, Pandya was soon drafted in the national side.

“Later on, Sachin said that if you maintain the form you will start playing for the Indian team within a year or so. As luck would have it, within 5 months I was playing for the Indian team,” Pandya conceded.