Hardik Pandya won the Player of the Match for his 59* and one wicket in India's win in Cuttack T20I.
At the first round of a five-match series at Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9, India defeated South Africa by 101 runs thanks to a superb all-around performance by the former India T20I skipper.
Hardik Pandya was out of action for two months after suffering a quad injury at the Asia Cup in the UAE in September. Since then, he recovered and rehabbed at the BCCI CoE. Hardik also made the most of his time away from the game, choosing to spend it with his family and Mahieka. It was during this period that their relationship first became public.
He returned to the Indian squad for the South Africa T20I series and played a huge role in India’s huge win. First, he rescued India from 78/4, hitting 59* in 28 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes, taking India to 175/6 in 20 overs. Then with the ball, he took 1/16 in 2 overs as South Africa was bowled out for 74 runs, their lowest T20I score ever.
Hardik Pandya was named the Player of the Match for his show and talked about the love from his near ones and especially mentioning Mahieka Sharma, crediting them with his successful return.
“Injuries test you mentally and put a lot of doubt in your mind. A lot of credit for a successful comeback goes to my loved ones. A special mention to my partner—she has been nothing but the best to me since she entered my life. A lot of great things have happened since she arrived,” Hardik told the BCCI after winning the Player of the Match award in Cuttack.
Hardik's public appearance with Mahieka in October came months after he and Natasha Stankovic had an amicable breakup. Their divorce in 2024 received a lot of attention, but Hardik emphasized that it was a mutual decision and that the couple was committed to co-parenting their son, Agastya.
"I have been an honest and real person in life, which has helped me a lot. I don't really sugarcoat a lot of things in life. It's never been about the other person, about how other people think, or about how others perceive me. It's always about how I feel inside. Now it's a time where Hardik Pandya wants to just play the sport and enjoy every second on the ground. Bigger and better will be the motto of my life,” he added.
Hardik is relishing every moment of his comeback and hopes to make the most of the opportunities that await him. Hardik, a two-time ICC Trophy winner, spoke about his time away from the game due to injuries and how he sees himself now that he's back and ready to play.
“You should be a rockstar; come perform for 10 minutes, and the crowd goes berserk. That has been the biggest motivation for me. Life has always thrown a lot of lemons at me, and I always thought that I would make lemonade. I’ve always believed that if I don’t believe in myself, how will others believe me? My mindset was really about coming back stronger, bigger, and better,” Hardik said in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
“Every time that I walk in, I feel like the crowd has been waiting for this moment. They’ve come to watch me bat. Because I have been strong, I have accomplished many things with ease. That has helped me in becoming more confident, backing myself, and really trusting my skillset. I really believe in myself as a player. Injuries test you mentally as well, and at the same time, they put you in a lot of doubt,” he added.
Here is the video: