"Aisa kyun ho raha hai mere saath..." - Ishan Kishan reveals Hardik Pandya's real reaction to criticism during IPL 2024

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan lauded all-rounder Hardik Pandya for his impressive performance during the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. Ishan Kishan recalled how Hardik Pandya handled criticism while leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Hardik Pandya faced criticism after replacing Rohit Sharma as captain of the Mumbai Indians. The all-rounder was booed by the crowd across venues, including the Wankhede Stadium, during IPL 2024. To make things worse, the team led by Hardik Pandya became the first team to be eliminated in the season.

A month later, the 30-year-old redeemed himself with a match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. He bowled crucial overs and picked up the wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Pandya admitted that he should respond to criticism through actions and performance rather than words.

It Was Redemption For Hardik Pandya - Ishan Kishan

In a conversation with The Indian Express, Ishan Kishan expressed happiness over Hardik Pandya's impressive performance during the T20 World Cup 2024. Kishan stated that he got very emotional when Pandya stepped out of the dressing room with the trophy in front of the packed Wankhede Stadium.

“I got very emotional when he stepped out of the dressing room with the trophy and the entire Wankhede Stadium erupted. It was redemption for him,” Kishan told The Indian Express.

Kishan shared that Hardik Pandya remained composed despite facing criticism from fans during IPL 2024. Kishan revealed that he witnessed Hardik's focus solely on his game without letting external pressures affect him.

“It is difficult to explain in words the past six months he has had, as there were all kinds of things said and written about him. But he never lost his cool. I was with him during most of that time – be it training with him in Vadodara or during the IPL – and I never heard him cribbing ki yaar, aisa kyun ho raha hai mere saath (Mate, why is it happening with me). He was calm about it, took it in a very sporting manner, and just focused on the game," said Kishan.

I Am So Proud Of Him - Ishan Kishan

The 25-year-old stated that Hardik Pandya faced harsh treatment at various places like the toss, team bus, and airport. The left-handed batter stated that Hardik was able to not show emotions publicly when facing challenges.

“Bade players ki nishani yahi hoti hai, wo shakal pe nahi dikhate (Big players don’t show emotions when things are not going their way. They don’t want anyone to feel sorry for them). I am so proud of him for the way he dealt with all the negativity and turned it into claps,” Kishan concluded.

Hardik Pandya scored 144 runs with a strike rate of 151.57 in six innings during the T20 World Cup 2024. He also contributed with the ball by taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.64. At the felicitation ceremony at Wankhede Stadium after a celebratory bus parade, fans chanted "Hardik, Hardik."

Also read: "Didn't like to chop and change..." - Rahul Dravid reveals his coaching philosophy after T20 World Cup 2024 triumph