Hardik Pandya has been in red hot form since the turn of the year, with his magnificent IPL 2022 campaign being a testament to that. He led Gujarat Titans to an IPL trophy in their debut season and his first stint as full-time skipper in the tournament. The 28-year-old is fitter than ever and seems to be at the peak of his prowess.
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Pandya had spine surgery in 2019 after consultation with the BCCI medical team and was sidelined from action until November 2020. He shared a montage in an Instagram post on July 18, highlighting his recovery post the 2019 surgery and his journey to the summit of the cricketing world. He also thanked his family members for standing behind him in tough situations.
“Through the ups and downs, with my people by my side. Woke up every morning raring to go, with the will to become stronger, with the will to become fitter and play for my country. Always grateful to those who stood by me, who encouraged me, who guided me,” read Pandya’s Instagram post.
After bending his back without discomfort, premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Sunday said "my body is fine", just the kind of assertion the Indian team management needed in the year of the T20 World Cup. Hardik, who had been dogged by recurrent back problems, took a career-best 4/24 and then played a 71-run knock to help India defeat England in the series-deciding third ODI. He used the short ball to good effect, picking up three wickets with that.
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Talking about India's chase, Rishabh Pant played an unbeaten knock of 125 to help India win the match by five wickets and 47 balls to spare.
