Hardik Pandya (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: India’s premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya says maintaining a positive mindset has enabled him to return to the field “stronger, bigger and better” after injury setbacks that have prompted moments of self-doubt. His return from a nearly two-month layoff due to a left quadriceps injury played a key role in India’s 101-run win over South Africa in the opening T20I on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The 32-year-old marked his comeback in style as he smashed an unbeaten 28-ball 59 and took 1/16, showing a full recovery from the injury he picked up during the Asia Cup.
Inside the Mind of a Champion | ft. Shafali, Deepti and Saiyami | TOI’s Ideas for India
“My mindset was really about coming back stronger, bigger, better. Injuries test you mentally and at the same time it creates a lot of doubt… and a lot of credit to loved ones,” Pandya said in a video posted on bcci.tv.“I stood firm, I did a lot of things with grace and that helped me become even more confident, back myself and really trust my skills… I really believe in myself as a player. I’ve always believed that if you don’t believe in yourself, how would others believe in you,” added Pandya, who is expected to play a key role in India’s World T20 campaign in two months’ time.He described himself as someone who relies on inner confidence and remains unaffected by outside opinions.“I think I’ve also been a very honest, very real person in life, which has helped me a lot. I don’t really sugarcoat a lot of things in my life. It’s never about the other person, it’s never about what other people think or how other people perceive it. It’s always about how I feel inside.”“Now is the time when Hardik Pandya just wants to play sports, enjoy every second on the ground… and bigger and better will be the motto in my life.”Pandya also said that he draws energy from the crowd, which fuels his desire to perform.“You should be a rock star. You come in, you perform for 10 minutes and the crowd goes wild, I think that was the biggest motivation for me.”He brilliantly won over a once-hostile crowd in Mumbai – upset to take over as Mumbai Indians captain in 2024 after moving from Gujarat Titans – following his heroics at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.“Life threw a lot of lemons at me, I always thought I’d make lemonade,” he said. “Every time I walk in, I feel like the whole crowd is just waiting … they’ve come for this moment to watch me burn.”
