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In a heartwarming post, Krunal Pandya put out an emotional post for his younger brother Hardik Pandya's heroics in India's T20 World Cup 2024 triumphant campaign. Hardik's stellar performances were instrumental in India's long-awaited ICC trophy win after over a decade. Krunal acknowledged the tough times Hardik faced in the past six months. Hardik Pandya endured criticism, particularly during the IPL 2024 season when he captained Mumbai Indians after returning from Gujarat Titans in a major trade. Under Hardik's captaincy Mumbai Indians finished at disappointing tenth place in the IPL 2024 season. However, Hardik silenced his doubters with his crucial contributions at the T20 World Cup, etching his name in India's cricketing history.
After going through a rough patch in IPL 2024, the 30-year-old staged a remarkable comeback in the T20 World Cup 2024, culminating in a heroic display in the final. Facing a rampaging Heinrich Klaasen, Hardik stepped up and took his wicket, shifting the momentum back to India. His heroics continued in the final over, where he dismissed the dangerous looking David Miller and successfully defended 16 runs to secure India's thrilling victory in Barbados.
Following Hardik's T20 World Cup heroics, his brother Krunal expressed his strong belief that Hardik didn't deserve the criticism he faced during the preceding six months.
Krunal pens emotional post for brother Hardik
"It's almost been a decade since Hardik and I started playing professional cricket. And the last few days have been like a fairy tale that we’ve dreamt off. Like every countryman I’ve lived this through our teams heroics and I couldn’t be more emotional with my brother being at the heart of it," wrote Krunal on Instagram, along with pictures.
"The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile. He kept working hard and focusing on what he needed to do to get the World Cup since that was his ultimate objective," Krunal's post further read.
Krunal emphasised that for Hardik, national pride always trumps personal struggles. This unwavering dedication was evident throughout India's dominant T20 World Cup run. Hardik's all-round performance was nothing short of remarkable: he smashed 144 runs with a blistering strike rate of 151.57 and picked up 11 crucial wickets across the six matches.
"He has now played his heart out to realise India’s long standing dream - And nothing has ever meant to him more. From the age of 6 - It’s playing for the country and winning the World Cup that’s been the dream," Krunal further added.
“I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger. ," he added.
“For Hardik, it has always been country first, and it will always be that way. For a young boy coming from Baroda, there can be no bigger achievement than helping his team win the World Cup. Hardik, I am so, so proud of you. I love you so much, and you deserve every bit of happiness and all the good things that are coming your way. I have immense respect for you, my bachhu,” Krunal's post concluded.
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