Ahead of the IPL 2024 season, Hardik Pandya left the Gujarat Titans (GT) in a sensational all-cash deal to join Mumbai Indians (MI). He was also handed the captaincy by the franchise management, replacing Rohit Sharma.

This decision, however, wasn’t well received by a section of Mumbai fans, who heckled the all-rounder during the cash-rich league in different venues. He was also criticized by several former cricketers.

However, Hardik stayed calm and focused all this while, and went on to play an instrumental role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. As a result, he didn’t only silence his detractors but also won the over the fans.

Hardik, who recently helped India clinch the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title, opened up about his mindset during last year’s IPL when he had to endure difficult times.

"It's always about when you don't leave the battlefield. For me, it was about surviving, maybe not winning. That year was a year where, for the longest time, I had to hold my ground, not leave the battlefield which was the ground. I realised how everything was panning out, that cricket will be my best friend, and he will get me out of it," said Pandya during an episode of JioStar's 'Superstars'.

"Yeah, it kept, I kept pushing, kept pushing. And I think when all the hard work and everything came, I don't think I wouldn't be able to write a script, which it turned out to be in my life. That six months of my phase where winning the World Cup and coming back and getting the kind of love we got. I think it was a complete 360 turnaround for me. And I think cricket was something which I knew that if I be persistent, if I be honest with my work, if I be really hardworking, I think I'll be able to come out of this. But when I didn't know, as exactly said, it was written in the script by the God where it turned out to be two and a half months," he added.

With the IPL 2025 season around the corner, Hardik Pandya also offered insight into the franchise's auction strategy. He revealed that the five-time champions wanted to rope in experienced players.

"This year, the goal was to get experience. I think you can see from the whole sheet where we wanted experienced bowling attack. Because Wankhede is where you get checked, and it can be quite intimidating playing in IPL in Mumbai, in Wankhede," said Hardik.

"And the wickets are generally high-scoring. So we wanted to focus on people who have a lot of experience at the same point of time, who have the swing, who have the bounce on that track, which we can get the most out of. And I think somehow we have, we have made a very gun team where top to bottom we have been able to fulfill. It's just that we all have to turn up now," he remarked.

While the IPL 2025 season is slated to get underway on March 22, Mumbai Indians will open their campaign against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on March 23.