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- Published: June 12, 2024 15:58
New Delhi: The Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has made a stunning comeback in the T20 World Cup 2024 after a nightmarish IPL season. Lukewarm performance and unavoidable controversies during IPL raised a lot of questions regarding the player’s place in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad.
The Mumbai Indians skipper has been in the limelight for his below-average performance in IPL 2024 and unhealthy rumors all around social media. Hardik made his comeback in cricket during IPL 2024 after he was ruled out of The World Cup 2023 due to an injury.
Lukewarm Performance in IPL 2024
On his return, Hardik joined MI’s camp in a controversial Transfer from Gujrat Titans and replaced five times IPL champion Rohit Sharma. However, this move was not celebrated by the MI fans. The star faced criticism and backlash from the Public. Fans ‘booed’ and bullied him at the Wankhade stadium (MI’s home ground).
Under the new skipper’s captaincy, Mumbai Indians did not perform well, further making the situation worse. Unfortunately, the 5-time champion Mumbai became the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs race in 2024. The franchise even finished at the bottom of the table. Hardik Pandya failed to deliver both as a captain and as a player.
Impactful Performance in T20 World
However, in the T20 World Cup 2024, against all the odds, Hardik’s “never give up” attitude worked for him scripting a remarkable comeback. The 30-year-old star scored a quick 40 in just 23 deliveries against Bangladesh in the warm-up match. After that, he exhibited his exceptional skills with the ball picking 3 wickets against Ireland in the 2nd league match.
The feeling of starting on a winning note 😃
Backing his skill-sets and potential 👌
Being part of an experienced bowling lineup 👏
Post-win chat with #TeamIndia vice-captain Hardik Pandya 👌👌 – By @RajalArora
WATCH 🎥🔽 #T20WorldCup | #INDvIRE | @hardikpandya7
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2024
The Indian vice-captain never fails to perform on big stages. On 9th June India faced the arch-rivals Pakistan in their 2nd league match. The Men in Blue registered a historic win over the neighbors. Hardik Pandya played a crucial role with the ball, picking up two important wickets helping India propel towards victory in a low-score thriller.