'My Focus Wasn't On Winning But Surviving': Hardik Pandya Discusses The Challenges He Faced After His Impressive Comeback

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya recently spoke about the time when he went through a lean phase and what him going throughout his journey in the game. The all-rounder highlighted that he kept his focus on his work and kept pushing himself until it eventually paid off. Pandya also revealed that there have been some phases in his life where he has focused on holding his ground and surviving.

Hardik Pandya Speaks Upon One Of His Life's Most Troubling Phases 

Hardik Pandya suffered epic scrutiny throughout his journey in the IPL 2024. After being named the Mumbai Indians' new skipper, the all-rounder failed to impress, as he could not lead the side towards a successful season. The hate and criticism was intense, and he was booed throughout the tournament. MI finished last at the points table, adding to the horror. Pandya recently spoke about the struggles he dealt with before making a larger-than-life comeback in the game by winning the ICC T20 WC & Champions Trophy titles.

"I realised that no matter what was happening around me, cricket would always be my greatest ally... I kept pushing through, and when all the hard work finally paid off, it was beyond anything I could have scripted. For me, it has always been about never leaving the battlefield. There have been phases in my career where my focus wasn't necessarily on winning but on surviving and holding my ground.

"The six-month phase where we won the World Cup, and then the kind of love and support I received upon returning — it was a complete 360-degree turnaround for me. I didn't know exactly when that would happen, but as they say, destiny had its plan, and in my case, everything changed within two and a half months,” Hardik Pandya said during an appearance on JioHotstar.

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Mumbai Indians Will Have A Huge Challenge In IPL 2025

After the shambolic run in IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya intends to deliver better and showcase his best capacity as a skipper. Pandya will be in charge of the five-time IPL-winning champions, the Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians' season-opener match is expected to be an instant classic as they will be facing Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, 23rd March, 2025.  

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