New Delhi: India all-rounder Krunal Pandya hailed his brother Hardik Pandya for “being at the heart of” Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados. Sharing a long heartwarming post on his Instagram handle, Krunal applauded Hardik for his determination amid the storm of criticism that he faced in the last six months, turning the tables to become a World Cup winner and changing the perspective of the very people with his game who booed him wherever he played in the IPL.
Hardik played a pivotal role in India’s World Cup win, giving crucial breakthroughs that proved match-winning for the team. The all-rounder’s redemption story is one for the ages as going through a tough phase with a smile on his face and turning the jeers into cheers require nothing short of tremendous guts and willpower. Even his brother Krunal was left teary-eyed seeing his brother breaking down after the momentous win in the final, the video of which was included in Krunal’s post.
“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,” Krunal wrote in the long emotional post.
Krunal highlighted Hardik’s struggles over the past few months, as he faced consistent boos and jeers at the Wankhede Stadium during the IPL 2024 season after his surprising move back to the Mumbai Indians, and taking up the skipper’s role replacing Rohit Sharma, much to fans’ disappointment. Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the table as Hardik failed to deliver captaining his old side.
“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,” Krunal added.
“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 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,” he added.
Here’s the emotional post from Krunal Pandya –
Krunal also included a video of himself watching his brother getting interviewed after the final match where emotions flowed heavily in Hardik and even Krunal couldn’t hold his tears back. He signed off reiterating how proud he is of his brother and what the victory means for the Baroda boy whose efforts have never been compromised for the national team.
Hardik in T20 World Cup 2024
In the all-important final match, Hardik took the crucial wicket of dangerman Heirich Klaasen who was cruising towards the target. The wicket changed the direction of the game and Hardik followed it up with the wicket of David Miller in the final over, successfully defending 16 runs to secure a seven-run victory over South Africa in Bridgetown. Hardik amassed 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 in six innings and scalped 11 wickets throughout the marquee event.
Krunal Pandya shared an emotional post on the social media for his brother Hardik who arrived in India as the T20 World Cup winner after defying all the odds and battling through a tough phase to help India lift the trophy. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
