Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya made his Indian Premier League debut with Mumbai Indians in 2015. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was a part of the side’s dressing room, and it was the first time when Pandya met Tendulkar personally.
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Tendulkar was so impressed with Pandya in the opening season that he had predicted him to represent India soon. In 2016, Pandya was seen wearing the Indian jersey. The rise of Pandya has been meteoric since his IPL debut. Although he was not at his best in that season but definitely showed glimpses of his potential.
Pandya scored 112 runs in nine matches at a strike-rate of 180.64. In bowling, he managed to scalp just a lone wicket at an economy rate of 10.35. In one of the matches against Chennai Super Kings, Pandya scored 21 runs in just eight balls which ensured a victory for his side.
Hardik Pandya Once Recalled His First Meeting With Sachin Tendulkar During IPL 2015
During an interview, Pandya once recalled what happened when he first saw Tendulkar in the dressing room. Pandya had said that he was eating something when Tendulkar came from behind to greet him. He revealed that he was absolutely star-struck and it took him some time to get out of that zone.
Pandya even called his elder brother Krunal Pandya and his family to inform them about what Tendulkar said about him. It was a day of joy for the Pandya family. The current captain of Gujarat Titans had highlighted that people consider him ‘Drama King’ for his expressive nature but he was not just able to control the excitement of meeting the ‘Master Blaster’.
“I was eating and I suddenly heard a ‘hi’, he tapped me and greeted me. I turned around and look at him and the plate started slipping from my hands. I kept the plate aside and went into a corner and just kept looking at him while he greeted everyone. It took me 20-25 minutes to get out of that state,” Pandya had told Vikram Sathaye on his talk show named ‘What the Duck’.
Hardik Pandya Mumbai Indians IPL record
Pandya represented Mumbai between 2015-2021 before joining Gujarat last season. He played 92 IPL matches for Mumbai where he scored 1,476 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 153.91 with the help of four half-centuries. With the ball, he scalped 42 wickets.
It is interesting that the Titans are utilizing the batting ability of Pandya in a much more efficient way. He has played 21 matches for GT and has already scored five half-centuries.
