Veteran Indian pacer Mohit Sharma recently opened up about his experience playing under Hardik Pandya's captaincy during his time with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sharma highlighted Pandya's expressive nature, a trait that many aspire to but often struggle to emulate.
Hardik Pandya's flamboyant personality has frequently attracted attention and sometimes led to misunderstandings. Earlier this year, when he moved from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, Pandya faced criticism and was booed by fans across the country. However, he redeemed himself with exceptional performances in the T20 World Cup 2024, especially in the final, where he claimed three crucial wickets, including that of David Miller in the final over.
Mohit Sharma on Hardik Pandya's personality
Mohit also emphasised that choosing to be humble doesn't automatically mean that everyone would desire the same approach. He suggested that Hardik Pandya's strong personality is often misunderstood, as it can be challenging to accept such a dominant character. In an interview on the YouTube channel 2 Sloggers, Mohit stated:
“The concept of being misunderstood is different for every individual. If I like to remain humble, it doesn't mean that everyone would like to remain humble. There are some people who are over- expressive. In our community, we find it difficult to accept when someone comes out like that".
"I will give you a perfect example - if you stay in a high-rise building and see someone enjoy the rain, even we feel like doing it, but our hesitation stops us. So, everyone wants to be like Hardik, but they can't be like him, which results in these things," he added.
Hardik Pandya's successful captaincy stint in IPL
Hardik had a remarkably successful stint as captain of the Gujarat Titans, leading them to their first-ever IPL title in 2022 and a runner-up finish in the following season. He subsequently rejoined his former franchise, Mumbai Indians, ahead of the IPL 2024 season. Mohit, a former teammate, described Pandya as a very easygoing and approachable person. He praised Pandya's ability to inject positive energy into the team and keep everyone motivated. Sharma also emphasised Pandya's unwavering commitment and dedication, noting that he consistently gave his all on the field, even when facing physical challenges like back issues.
“As a person, Hardik is a very nice human being. He is a darling type of guy and very easygoing. He makes the atmosphere very healthy. It doesn't matter what the world thinks. As a leader, there is always some scope for improvement. Hardik's biggest quality is that he gets his players pumped up because he himself likes to be pumped uр,” the star pacer said about Hardik.
“When he does that, it is inspiring for the ones around him. He would somehow manage to fix his back but there would still be some cramps and back pain. It is easy for people to say, but you have to be in that situation to understand. You can't even move when your back is injured, but in that situation, he does fielding and tries to bowl two overs,” he concluded.
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