India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya recently shared the experience of leading the national team. He missed the white-ball tour of UK last month as he was dealing with fitness issues.
Pandya's first stint as Indian captain began in June 2022 when he led the side to 2-0 T20I series win against Ireland. He captained the team in 16 T20Is between 2022 and 2023, winning 10 matches and losing five.
Hardik also led India in three ODIs, winning twice and losing one. It was widely believed that he would succeed Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain, but the selectors decided to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the new skipper following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
"When it comes to leadership, I never doubted myself. I don't play for roles or the say on my name. It was always about knowing that I am a leader, knowing that I have the power and presence in any team that I play, where all 11 will follow me if I ask them. I always believed that you don't need to be a captain to be a leader. You can be a leader as a player as well," Hardik said during a conversation on SGTV.
"Very fortunate and grateful. I never played for that. But it's a dream of everyone who starts the journey to just play for India, but captaining is another honour. But that feeling was only for five minutes. After that, it was about thinking what we can do better. I loved the moment for five minutes and cherished it. I don't keep all these things too close, as it can go anytime," he added.
Hardik Pandya also gave a sneak peek into his mindset as he continues to recover from injuries. For him, silencing critics isn’t as important as being in a good mental space.
"It was never about answering questions which people ask, as it is irrelevant for me. For me, what matters is am I happy with what I am doing. The very reason I had to take time off was to get fresh from my own mind and get that vibe. It was to enjoy the sport. When I was working hard, it was for myself, for my own happiness, my own peace and not anyone else. When things are going well, everyone can say I answered critics, but it was never about that. It was about me feeling good about myself," he stated.
Pandya also addressed his unique personality, vibrant style, and playful nature that led to him being dropped from teams early in his career.
"From where I came and the journey I have followed, I had to stand out. I had a lot of problems growing up as I was a different personality from the start. I just liked colors, I was bubbly and would always joke around. I was an outside the box person and not like a traditional cricketer. Now it played well for me, but at that point I would always get dropped, not because of my runs, but my attitude. Honestly, I did not even know what 'attitude' was. I had no idea," he remarked.
