'Thank you from the bottom of my heart' - Hardik Pandya on the sixth anniversary of his MI debut

Mumbai Indians have been the team to beat in the Indian Premier League. Having dominated the league with enviable consistency in the years gone by, the franchise must also be credited for unearthing talents from dingy streets and honing them to survive the hardest battles.

Much of Mumbai’s success lies in how they strategize and plan during the auctions. Ensuring to keep an apt balance in every facet of the game alongside a robust core, they have, for quite some time now, appeared to be a team with the least shortcomings and most bases covered.

It should not be a surprise, therefore, that they are able to do what they do with such admirable regularity. Scouting talent has been MI’s biggest strength, and how good they are at it can be made out by looking at the number of players the franchise has brought up for the national team to savor.

One of such mighty finds has been Hardik Pandya, whose association with franchise dates back to 2015. Incidentally, it was on this day, six years ago, when the Baroda all-rounder wore the MI jersey for the first time. He made an early impression with a 31-ball 61 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the same year.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart: Hardik Pandya

Acknowledging and reminiscing what his team has done for him, Hardik Pandya posted a “thank you” tweet on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of his MI debut.

“On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of his MI debut, Hardik tweeted, “A walk down memory lane and looking back at 6 extraordinary years with a team so close to my heart @mipaltan. To the management, staff, teammates, and fans who’ve been with me on this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

A pillar of the Mumbai franchise, he has been a part of as many as four triumphant IPL campaigns (2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020). Having represented the team in 83 encounters so far in the tournament, Pandya has amassed 1384 runs at a strike rate of 157.45, while with the ball, he has earned 42 wickets to his name.

A walk down memory lane and looking back at 6 extraordinary years with a team so close to my heart @mipaltan 💙 To the management, staff, teammates and fans who’ve been with me on this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏 pic.twitter.com/lLe63fXP1J

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) April 19, 2021