Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflected on completing 10 years in international cricket, describing it as “merely the beginning” and saying he is only “getting started on the path I truly wish to walk.” Hardik made his international debut against Australia in an ODI at Adelaide on Republic Day in 2016.
Hardik Pandya reflects on his journey from Baroda to international stardom
Taking to Instagram, Hardik wrote, “10 years of this journey, the year I turn 33. It is one thing to play the sport I love with all my heart, and it is another to be able to serve my country through it. I love you all, thank you for everything. Thank you God for the trials and tribulations that got me here… the chances that so many people took… the opportunity to live this life.”
He added, “This year has taught me that this is merely the beginning… I am only just getting started on the path I truly wish to walk.”
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Looking back at his early days, Hardik said, “If I may look back at a young Hardik running an extra few miles to get to play from Baroda, a batsman bowling extra balls in the nets to bowlers who never got to practice batting, becoming an all-rounder at 19, and from getting noticed and getting rejected, getting to play for my desh has been the most worthwhile journey for me.”
Hardik credited his debut to divine timing, stating, “God had great plans for me when he let me debut on the 26th of January. I have become a man while playing this sport, and I will grow old playing it too.”
Since his debut, Hardik has been a vital contributor to India’s white-ball success, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. He delivered crucial performances in key matches, including a standout showing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he scored 144 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 151.00 and averaged 48.00, while taking 11 wickets at an average of 17.36, with best figures of 3/20. In the final, he bowled the last over and claimed the match-sealing wicket of David Miller, with Suryakumar Yadav taking a spectacular catch.
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In 94 ODIs, Hardik has scored 1,904 runs in 68 innings at an average of 32.82, with 11 fifties and a top score of 92*. He has also taken 91 wickets at an average of 35.50, with best figures of 4/24.
In 127 T20Is, he has amassed 2,027 runs at an average of 28.54 with a strike rate of over 143, including seven fifties and a best of 71*. In Tests, Hardik has scored 532 runs in 18 innings at an average of 31.29, with one century and four fifties, alongside 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 and best figures of 5/28.
