Follow UsFollowing his sizzling bowling display in last year’s T20 World Cup final, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya admits to having ‘won the fans’ back. The all-rounder had quite a tumultuous year leading to the World Cup, with fans of his own IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, booing him for replacing Rohit Sharma as captain.
"They [fans] said, life for me, had come a full circle. They said, from here on, there was no looking back. I had won them [fans] back," said Pandya in a video posted by the BCCI on social media.
Since then, Pandya returned to a full-capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium to celebrate India’s World Cup win, where the crowd had chanted his name.
"A new year, a new tournament and a new challenge awaits us. Our quest to become champions once again has begun.
"Today, we step out yet again to start fresh, to conquer another day, to conquer another opponent. Chapter 2 in the Champions Trophy awaits. Get ready and fasten your seat-belts for a contest that needs no introduction," he said.
India will take on Pakistan in a must-win encounter for the latter on February 23 in Dubai.