'The ball was not in my court' - Hardik Pandya on Koffee with Karan controversy

Hardik Pandya, the Indian all-rounder, went down the memory lane and talked about the controversy surrounding Koffee With Karan. The start of 2019 wasn’t an auspicious one for him after the talk-show with Karan Johar. Pandya made some comments that were termed as ‘sexist’ by the netzines. KL Rahul, who was also present on the show, had to bear the brunt of the public as well.

The BCCI took action, suspending them indefinitely and issuing notices. Owing to the same, the duo couldn’t play the ODI series in Australia as well. It’s been a year and the memories of the occurring seem to be afresh in Pandya’s mind. He didn’t mince any words in saying that he was in a vulnerable state. He stated that ‘the ball wasn’t in his court’ and he had no clue of proceedings from there on.

Hardik Pandya reveals the hard times

“We as cricketers did not know what was going to happen. The ball was not in my court, it was in some else’s court where they had to take the shot and that’s a very vulnerable place you don’t want to be,” Pandya was quoted as saying in India Today.

Much to his relief, the ban was lifted and Pandya made his comeback midway through the five-match ODI series in New Zealand. The youngster also went on to play a key role for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also for Team India in the 2019 World Cup. Rahul also made a mark and staked his claim in the national side for the mega event.

A lot has changed for Hardik ever since the incident. Unlike last year, the start of 2020 was an auspicious one for the cricketer. On January 1, he got engaged to Serbian actress Natasa Stankovic. He shared a few adorable pictures with his fiancé, but their marriage date is yet to be decided.

Hardik is also set to make his comeback on the field after an injury layoff. He has been named in India A’s squad for the tour of New Zealand. Pandya last played in the three-match T20I series versus South Africa back in September 2019.