India all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a successful return to top-flight cricket this year after missing six months of game time since T20 World Cup 2021 after working hard on his fitness which threatened to jeopardize his career.
Pandya suffered a debilitating back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup. He came back after rehab and then had surgery to correct his back issue in 2019. He played the 2019 World Cup but was continuously troubled by his bad back, which led to him quitting bowling even in the T20s.
Many questioned his inclusion in the Indian team for T20 World Cup 2021 as he had not bowled for a significant amount of time before the tournament, even in the IPL 2020 and 2021.
This led to Hardik taking time off to work on his fitness and came back stronger in the IPL 2022 where he captained the Gujarat Titans to the title and since then has shown that he can bowl without issues completing his four over quote in T20Is against England and also bowling significantly in ODIs.
He was named the Player of the Series in India’s ODI series win over England for his 100 runs and 6 wickets, which included a career-best 4/24 in the third ODI.
Recently, he posted an emotional video on his Instagram account encapsulating his journey from his back surgery to getting back in top shape.
“Through the ups and downs, with my people by my side. Woke up every morning raring to go, with the will to become stronger, with the will to become fitter and play for my country. Always grateful to those who stood by me, who encouraged me, who guided me,” he captioned the video.
Check it out here:
