When Pandya got into the MI franchise, Ponting looked after him.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was groomed well under the guidance of Ricky Ponting in his initial days with Mumbai Indians (MI). Pandya, a raw talented, was spotted by John Wright and he then got an opportunity to be a part of MI.
Spending time with the former Australia World Cup-winning captain helped Pandya. Also, the fact that Ponting was equally interested in shaping up Hardik for good, it touched the India cricketer's heart.
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Hardik sees Ponting as a father figure. "Ricky Ponting was someone who looked after me the best. He looked after me like a child. I used to feel like he was my father figure there,” Hardik told Cricbuzz.
“Ricky taught me so many things, he taught me situations, he taught me mindset, how strong you should be. As a new boy in 2015, I used to sit next to the hoardings. Ricky used to sit down with me and speak about the game. (With all these conversations) I started learning quickly."
Pandya also added about Kieron Pollard. He calls him his brother and both have a really good bond. "We have such beautiful relations, our families are in touch. We talk despite all the time differences in the West Indies, we make sure we talk at least once in a month. I look up to him as my senior, my role model.
"I never had one specific role model. I always wanted to learn from the best, different things from different people, and I wanted to combine that in my game - Mahi bhai's calmness, Virat's hunger. From 2015, when I made it to the IPL, I always wanted to learn from people. That's when I realised that Polly is someone who relates to my game."
Jasprit Bumrah is also someone who got his cricketing career a good boost through Mumbai Indians. Hardik and Bumrah both have been together for a while now.
"Jassi is a very different character. He's calm, but he's someone who likes to be left alone. If he has to talk to someone then he'll initiate the conversation," said Hardik.
"I can never be like him even if I try. He's knowledgeable, well-spoken, thinking 20 times before speaking. But he's someone who I enjoy being with. We have got success together and have genuinely shared success."
(WITH CRICBUZZ INPUTS)