Hardik Pandya is celebrating his 33rd birthday today. He wears jersey number 33. He made his India debut in 2016. Many people consider him one of India’s best all-rounders.
His girlfriend, Mahika Sharma, marked the day with a long social media post. She shared stories from his early life and his cricket journey. She talked about how he came through hard times and built a name for himself.
According to her post, Hardik was mainly a batter until he was 19. He used to bat at number four for Baroda. He was the lively younger brother. His energy and agility were always there. Cricket became a way for him to use that energy. It also became a way for him to express himself.
The post also shared how his bowling started. After finishing his batting, Hardik would stay on the field. He would bowl to help his teammates practise. One day, a senior coach noticed him bowling. The coach was surprised. He had only known Hardik as a batter.
A few days later, Hardik played a match as an all-rounder. He took five wickets on his debut in that role. Mahika also wrote that he did not even have proper bowling shoes at the time.
Nearly two years later, Hardik was picked by his favourite IPL team. He joined as a fast-bowling all-rounder. Just six months after that, he played for India.
Mahika ended her post by saying Hardik’s story is incredible. She said no one could have imagined it. She added that she had only described a small part of it. For her, his real story is not in words. It is in what he does on the field.
Hardik Pandya Domestic Career
Hardik Pandya began his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in 2015. He stayed with the franchise until 2021. One of his early memorable performances came against Kolkata Knight Riders. It was a must-win game for Mumbai to stay in the playoff race. Hardik scored 61 runs off just 31 balls. That knock helped Mumbai win the match and earned him his second man of the match award of the 2015 season.
Before the 2022 mega auction, the Mumbai Indians released him. He then joined the new Ahmedabad-based team, Gujarat Titans. The franchise named him captain. In their very first season, Hardik led Gujarat to the IPL title. That made him the first captain since Shane Warne in 2008 to win the trophy in a team’s debut season.
In November 2023, Hardik returned to Mumbai Indians after two seasons with Gujarat Titans. As part of the deal, Cameron Green moved from Mumbai to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Mumbai then named Hardik as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. This decision upset many Mumbai fans. They booed Hardik during the 2024 season.
Hardik Pandya International Career
Hardik Pandya has played for India in all three formats. He made his mark as a fast-bowling all-rounder. Here is a look at his international career.
Hardik made his T20I debut on January 27, 2016, against Australia. He was 22 years old. He took two wickets in that match. His first T20I wicket was Chris Lynn.
His best T20I bowling figures are 4 for 38. He achieved that against England on July 8, 2018. In the same match, he scored 33 not out off 14 balls. He hit the winning runs with a six off Chris Jordan. He became the first Indian to take four wickets and score over 30 runs in the same T20I.
In June 2022, Hardik was named India’s captain for the T20I matches against Ireland.
In April 2024, Hardik was named vice-captain for the T20 World Cup. India won the tournament. Hardik took 11 wickets and scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 150. In the final, he took three wickets. Those included Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. He also bowled the last over. After the tournament, he became the first Indian all-rounder to be ranked number one in T20I rankings.
Hardik made his ODI debut on October 16, 2016, against New Zealand in Dharamshala. He became the fourth Indian to win Player of the Match on an ODI debut. The others were Sandeep Patil, Mohit Sharma, and KL Rahul. In his first ODI innings, he scored 36 off 32 balls.
He was named in ESPNcricinfo’s ODI XI of the year for 2017.
On July 17, 2022, Hardik took his best ODI bowling figures of 4 for 24. That was against England at Old Trafford. In the same match, he scored 71 runs. He became the first Indian to score a fifty and take four wickets in an ODI since Yuvraj Singh in 2011.
FAQs
Q. How old is Hardik Pandya turning?
A. Hardik Pandya is celebrating his 33rd birthday.
Q. Who shared stories about Hardik Pandya’s cricket journey?
A. His girlfriend, Mahika Sharma, shared stories on social media.
Q. How many wickets did Hardik take in his all-rounder debut?
A. Hardik took five wickets in his debut as an all-rounder.
Q. Which team did Hardik Pandya lead to the IPL title in 2022?
A. Hardik led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title.
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