Hardik Pandya Reveals How He Was Picked By IPL Franchise Mumbai Indians

Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya who represents 5-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the cash-rich league, has revealed how he was spotted by the team.

In an interview with The Cricket Monthly, Hardik talked about his inclusion in Mumbai Indians and told he was spotted by MI’s scout team during the 2013-14 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, and Kiran More had already spoken about him and Krunal Pandya to John Wright. He stated:

“In the 2013-14 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, Zak [Zaheer Khan] was playing for Mumbai against Baroda, along with others like Surya [Suryakumar Yadav], PT [Pravin Tambe], Aditya Tare, Dhawal Kulkarni, who were in the eyes of franchises. Kiran sir [More] had spoken to John Wright about us two brothers. John was always there for all the games as he was a scout. Akash [Ambani, Mumbai Indians’ owner] came with Rahul Sanghvi [Mumbai Indians’ manager] and one more MI person.”

Hardik further added that luckily he smashed an unbeaten 82 runs in that match in the presence Mumbai Indians scout team. He elaborated:

“There’s a saying in Hindi: Jungle mein mor naacha kisne dekha? [if a peacock dances in a forest, did one anyone see it?] With me, that’s not been the case – whenever I have danced, someone has watched. I scored 82 not out.”

The 28-year-old also mentioned that former India coach John Wright has played a big role in him getting selected for Mumbai Indians. Hardik Pandya stated:

“Yeah, John played a very, very big part because he actually showed the owners that this guy is there. I don’t get to speak to John a lot but the last time I met him, I thanked him again. I appreciate people who have stood by me and I don’t forget them – at the end of the day if you have helped with Rs 5 or if you have helped with your time, Hardik and Krunal never forget that.”

Hardik Pandya made his debut for Mumbai Indians in the 2015 IPL season and smashed 112 runs at a strike rate of 180.64. After that, he got his India call-up, and now he is a vital member of the Indian team

When We Came To Baroda, Our House Would Have Been About 50 Square Feet – Hardik Pandya

Speaking about his old days in Baroda, Hardik Pandya said he used to live in a small apartment. He elaborated:

“When we came to Baroda, our house would have been about 50 square feet, and four of us lived there. I am not exaggerating. We still have that house – one bedroom-kitchen. The kitchen would be the size of a small washroom. People keep asking us brothers how did we brothers grow tall so fast. We did not have a lot of space, but we had a monkey bar in the house and I used to hang upside down on it, do all sort of things.”

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya further added that things have now changed, and he lives a luxurious lifestyle. He stated:

“Now we have a home theatre. I have a gym inside my house, because I am very private and don’t step out much anymore. I have created a shoot room. Natasa [Stankovic, Hardik’s wife] loves to dance, so we have a dancing space.”

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