India all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s heartwarming video has emerged on social media, in which he can be seen thanking a local cricket selector from his childhood via video call.
The clip showed Pandya expressing gratitude to the selector for providing him with a match fee of Rs 400 during his early cricketing years, a gesture he described as pivotal in shaping his career.
Before becoming a household name and bagging an IPL contract with the Mumbai Indians, Pandya’s cricketing journey was far from glamorous.
During his teenage years, the Baroda all-rounder used to travel remote villages across Gujarat to take part in local and tennis-ball cricket tournaments. These matches often earned him Rs 400-500, which was of great support during his struggling days.
Hardik Pandya is currently plying his trade in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda. He has been in fine form in the T20 tournament so far, registering scores of 74*, 41*, 69 and 47. He has also claimed a couple of wickets along the way.
Hardik will be seen leading Mumbai Indians once again in the IPL 2025 season. He was retained by MI for Rs 16.35 crore ahead of the mega auction.
