Hardik Pandya Emotionally Recounts IPL Heartbreak to Unexpected 'Hardik' Chants at Wankhede in Touching 'Comeback' Post

Days after celebrating India's historic T20 World Cup victory, where he played a crucial role in the final against South Africa in Barbados on June 29, all-rounder Hardik Pandya shared an emotional social media post detailing his comeback journey over the past nine months. The short video, posted on his Instagram handle, underscored the challenges he faced during this period and how he overcame them to contribute significantly to India's triumph, ending their 11-year ICC trophy drought with their second T20 World Cup victory.

The clip, captioned: "Make your comeback greater than your setback. Always," chronicled Hardik Pandya's journey, including the ankle injury he sustained in October last year during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which led to his withdrawal. It also highlighted his challenges during his time with the Mumbai Indians, both on and off the field. However, he ultimately returned with outstanding all-round performances in the T20 World Cup tournament.

The video also captured the moment at Wankhede Stadium where an unexpected 'Hardik' chant erupted, triggered by India captain Rohit Sharma praising the all-rounder for his heroics in the World Cup final. This came just a month after the same venue had subjected the Mumbai Indians captain to boos and jeers.

Despite the challenges of the past nine months, Hardik Pandya put it all behind him with a stellar performance in the T20 World Cup. One of his standout moments was in the final against South Africa, where he dismissed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen and took two wickets in the final over to successfully defend 16 runs, leading India to a seven-run victory. Throughout the tournament, he scored 144 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 151.57, including a half-century, and picked up 11 wickets in eight games with an economy rate of 7.64.

Currently on a hiatus from international cricket, Hardik is set to make his comeback during India's upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka later this month. With Rohit Sharma retiring from T20Is, Hardik is anticipated to assume captaincy responsibilities for India in the format during the three T20Is against Sri Lanka. He is also expected to feature in the subsequent three-match ODI series, marking the start of India's preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy.