Not Sachin Tendulkar! Hardik Pandya picks domestic giant as his childhood cricket idol

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya revealed his childhood cricketing idol ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Mumbai Indians (MI) captain ignored players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Yuvraj Singh and instead chose a former India Test opener.

Pandya made the revelation during a recent awards ceremony hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He attended the event in Delhi on Sunday along with several other cricketers. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Hardik, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took part in a quick-fire question session.

Hardik Pandya Names Wasim Jaffer His Childhood Idol

During an entertaining rapid-fire segment hosted by veteran broadcaster Harsha Bhogle, players shared their childhood inspirations. Hardik Pandya gave a surprising answer.

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He ignored the famous white-ball legends of his generation. The all-rounder said Wasim Jaffer was the player he watched and admired while growing up and learning the sport.

Wasim Jaffer dominated domestic cricket before representing India. He played 30 Test matches between 2000 and 2008 and scored nearly 2,000 runs, including five centuries. Jaffer still holds the record for the most runs in the Ranji Trophy.

He spent many years playing for Mumbai and Vidarbha in domestic red-ball cricket. After retiring from professional cricket, Jaffer moved into television commentary and cricket analysis.

Other Players Share Their Childhood Cricket Idols

While Hardik Pandya admired Wasim Jaffer, his teammates chose different legends as their childhood idols. Sanju Samson quickly named Sachin Tendulkar as his inspiration.

Abhishek Sharma picked Yuvraj Singh as his idol. He also said that the former World Cup winner now works with him as a mentor and coach.

During the same rapid-fire session, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh as his biggest inspirations. Brian Lara scored more than 10,000 runs in international cricket and is widely regarded as one of the greatest left-handed batters in the history of the game.

Hardik Pandya Played Key Role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Win

Hardik Pandya played an important role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory. He scored 217 runs in nine matches at an average of 27.12 and a strike rate of 160.74, including two half-centuries. With the ball, he also took nine wickets to help India win the tournament.

In the final against New Zealand, he scored 18 runs from 13 balls. He also conceded 36 runs and took the wicket of Mark Chapman. Hardik will next be seen in action in the upcoming Indian Premier League season.

He will lead the Mumbai Indians in the tournament. Last year, he guided the team to the playoffs. Hardik scored 224 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 163.50 and also took 14 wickets. However, the Mumbai Indians lost to the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.

Mumbai Indians will play four matches in the first phase of the IPL 2026 season. They will begin their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Also read: Who replaces Ajinkya Rahane if he quits KKR captaincy in IPL 2026?