(Source X)
After playing crucial roles with bat and ball in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, vice-captain Hardik Pandya finally reunited with his son Agastya on Friday. The Indian cricket team, fresh from their title victory, returned home on Thursday and received a warm felicitation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Hardik, deeply engrossed in his cricketing commitments over the past month, experienced a poignant homecoming upon returning to his family. Upon reaching home, he joyously shared several heartwarming pictures capturing the special moments spent with his son.
“My #1! Everything I do, I do for you,” read the post shared by the Indian all-rounder on social media.
Pandya played a pivotal role with the ball during the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. His impactful performance against the Proteas moved him to tears of elation as he celebrated India’s World Cup victory in Barbados.
Recently, Pandya’s elder brother Krunal addressed the criticism and trolling faced by the Mumbai Indians skipper during IPL 2024, breaking his silence on the matter.
Penning an emotional note, Krunal wrote, “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.”
“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,” he added.
Pandya’s outstanding displays at the T20 World Cup propelled him to the top spot among all-rounders. By the end of the tournament, he had amassed 144 runs at a strike rate exceeding 150, while also claiming 11 wickets.
