After winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) title as a captain for the first time with new entrants Gujarat Titans (GT), Hardik Pandya's form was rewarded with a callup to the national team. Hardik was at his best both with the bowl and the bat, but received a lot of praise most for his captaincy.
Hardik has been battling fitness problems for a while and his comeback to Team India was received with much applause. In the first match of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, he scored 31 runs in 12 balls. In a video released by BCCI ahead of their second match of the season, he opened up about waking up at five in the morning and training for four months.
"I was emotionally well before returning to the IPL. It was a big thing for me to go to the playoffs because people were doubting us. Many things went wrong on my return. I wanted to prove myself later and for that, I would get up at 5 in the morning and train. After that, I would be on the ground again at 4 in the evening.
"I am obviously very excited. Playing for the country has always been special. I have worked hard. It is more important to do good for the country and it makes me very happy," he added.
Sharing his thoughts on the ongoing series against the Proteas and his target against their opponents in the remaining four matches of the series, Hardik said, "Every series or every match you play is as important as your last match. The World Cup is my goal but it is the right platform to prepare for it. Cricket is coming back to back so you always need to be in rhythm. I will not be the captain or bat in the top order. You will see what he is known for."
