Hardik Pandya has been through a roller-coaster of emotions, on and off the field, in recent months, and few people have witnessed what the all-rounder went through in his low phase as closely as Ishan Kishan.
Now that Hardik is enjoying a redemption of sorts after playing a key role in India’s triumph at the T20 World Cup, the memories of the home crowd at Wankhede Stadium booing the new Mumbai Indians captain, after he returned from Gujarat Titans to replace icon Rohit Sharma, seem a relic of the past. It makes Kishan, who spent around four months with Hardik before the last IPL season and the T20 World Cup, particularly happy.
“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 tells The Indian Express in an exclusive interview.
Kishan provides a peek into Hardik’s state of mind during the tough time and describes how he never lost his cool despite facing the heat from fans, wherever he went with Mumbai Indians.
“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,” he says.
Hardik gave an indication of what he was going through during the Indian team’s interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their return from Barbados, when he described his past six months as “very entertaining.”
“There have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be through sport,” Hardik told Modi.
Kishan describes the kind of hooting and abuse Hardik suffered during the IPL.
“He was at the receiving end wherever he went. At the toss, while boarding the team bus, at the airport. But he didn’t take it personally. Generally, people break down when treated so harshly, but Hardik didn’t. I consider him a great athlete because despite the entire stadium booing him, he went on with the job with a straight face.
“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,” says Kishan.
Calm and composed
He recalls how Hardik took all the trolling coming his way in his stride.
“I remember Hardik bhai saying once during the IPL, ‘jo haath mey nahi hai uske baare mey kya sochna, log bol rahe hai kyu bol rahe, wo sab control nahi kar sakte (Those things which are not in our hands, we can’t control. If I keep on thinking about what people are saying, I will lose it). The same bunch that has criticised me will celebrate me in the future and I just have to take it in a very sporting manner,’” recalls Kishan.
During their time training together, the only thing Hardik was focused on was doing well for India at the T20 World Cup.
India, you mean the world to me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love.. these are moments that I will never ever forget! Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us, despite the rains! We love you so much! Celebrating with you is why we do what we do! We’re… pic.twitter.com/c18lLrPJ1q
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) July 4, 2024
“He was heartbroken after he got injured during the ODI World Cup. He was really focused on the T20 World Cup. Although he never said it, the intensity with which he used to train and practise had ‘tu dekh mai karta hun’ (you see what I will do) written all over it. I’ve trained with him. He has never compromised with his work ethic and it showed during the World Cup.”
Kishan says deep down, he felt Hardik would be the most valuable player for India at the World Cup.
“I had a gut feeling that he was saving it all for the World Cup. I will never forget his words: ‘Ek baar performance aa jaaye fir jo aaj gaali de rahe wahi taaliyaan bajayenge (Once I will start performing, those who are abusing me will be clapping for me). This is what he told me when I was also going through a really tough time. He said ‘let people talk, we will do our best and give 100 percent to the game we love.”
Kishan felt that for the person he was and what he was going through, Hardik didn’t deserve such a tough time from fans.
“I don’t know why he is so misunderstood. Hardik is one of the sweetest guys I know. He is a really chilled-out person, a fun-loving guy. He is very expressive with his feelings,” Kishan adds.
