New Delhi: Mumbai Indians (MI) owner Nita Ambani recently recalled the inspiring journey of the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal as she narrated the tale of how the scouts found the two all-rounders for the franchise in the Indian Premier League. Both Hardik and Krunal were vital cogs in the Mumbai Indians line-up for several years and formed the core that helped the franchise win a record-equalling five IPL titles.
Both Hardik and Krunal went on to make waves in the IPL and for Team India in international cricket after joining Mumbai Indians. While Hardik made his IP debut for MI in 2015, Krunal made his debut in the following season. Both quickly established their credentials as two of the most exciting Indian all-rounders in the league and played together for MI till 2021.
While Krunal moved on from the team and is currently part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad, Hardik returned as Mumbai Indians captain in IPL 2024 after spending two seasons at Gujarat Titans (GT) where he led the franchise to back-to-back IPL final in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Nita Ambani revealed how Mumbai Indians managed to unearth the talented duo.
Hardik and Krunal survived on Maggi before IPL happened
Speaking at an event in Boston, Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani revealed how she used to accompany the scouts of the franchise to multiple matches in the Indian domestic circuit, including the Ranji Trophy to spot talented players and pick them for the team. She recalled speaking to the Pandya brothers during a Mumbai Indians camp where they told her that they mostly ate Maggi to survive due to lack of money.
Hardik and Krunal come from a humble background. Their father, the late Himanshu Pandya used to run a small car finance business in Surat. However, he later moved to Baroda after his business suffered. Hardik and Krunal used to train at Kiran More’s academy and used to play local tournaments to earn money and support their family.
In an old interview, Hardik revealed the two brothers would have Maggi for breakfast and lunch as it cost only Rs 5 back then and they didn’t have enough money. Hardik and Krunal were signed by Mumbai Indians for Rs 10 lakh each, a move that changed their lives forever.
“In IPL, we all have a fixed budget, so every team can spend x amount of money, so we had to think about new ways of getting talent… So I remember scouting for talent, and I used to go to every Ranji Trophy match and my scouts and I would go to all these domestic cricket matches. And one day, our scouts took two young, lanky, thin boys to the camp,” Nita Ambani said at the event.
#WATCH | Boston, US: Reliance Foundation Founder-Chairperson Nita Ambani tells how she scouted for new talent for the Mumbai Indians team and included Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma in the team
She says, “In IPL, we all have a fixed budget, so every… pic.twitter.com/v0HriPJH8T
— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025
I was talking to them, and they said that for three years, they’ve eaten nothing but Maggi noodles because they’ve had no money. But in them, I saw the spirit, the passion and the hunger that they wanted to make it big. Those two brothers were Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. In 2015, I bought Hardik Pandya at 10 thousand US dollars in the auction, and today, he’s the proud captain of Mumbai Indians,” she added.
Hardik Pandya to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025
Hardik will continue leading the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL 2025. India’s current ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma and current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav will both play under Hardik for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Mumbai Indians endured a poor season on Hardik’s return as captain in IPL 2024 last year and will be hoping to bounce back strongly in the upcoming season.
Mumbai Indians owner Nita owner recently recalled the inspiring journey of brothers Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, who were found by the scouts of Mumbai Indians and went on to makes waves in the IPL and for India in international cricket. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
