Hardik Pandya, the bad boy of Indian Cricket who can't seem catch a break
On Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Team India squads for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The most notable change was the team management picking Suryakumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya to lead the T20I side. The vice-captain of India's T20 World Cup team, whom many expected to fill the shoes of Rohit Sharma, was given the cold shoulder on Thursday.
Pandya, who was also the vice-captain of India's ODI squad, has been replaced by Shubman Gill as the 30-year-old opted out of the team due to personal reasons.
Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic part ways?
Hours after this, Pandya and his wife, Natasa Stankovic, confirmed their separation in a joint statement on Instagram, saying they decided to part ways mutually, ending weeks of speculation about the status of their relationship.
Controversies follow Hardik?
These are the latest twists and turns in the career of Pandya, who first came to the spotlight with his performance for the Mumbai Indians in the 2015 IPL season. Though his IPL blitz earned Pandya a Team India cap in 2016, the sailing was anything but smooth.
Hardik Pandya's career figures
In the eight years since he made his Team India debut, Pandya has played in 11 Test matches, 86 ODIs, and 100 T20Is. He has also played 137 games in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.?
While on the cricket field, Pandya let the bat and ball do the talking, but it was not the case outside.
Koffee with Karan controversy?
In 2019, Pandya and teammate KL Rahul landed in hot water over some sexist comments made on 'Koffee with Karan'. The duo had to apologize for their comments, but the damage was already done. They were expelled from the team and were handed a two-match ban along with a fine of Rs 20 lakh. This episode earned him the unenviable name of 'the bad boy of Indian Cricket', but Pandya tried to shake off this image with his performances on the pitch, which he largely succeeded in doing. However, constant injuries have kept him in and out of the Indian team.
Pulled up by customs for luxury watches?
In 2021, Pandya, who was returning from the UAE after the T20 World Cup, was pulled up by customs officials at the Mumbai airport for carrying two watches worth around Rs 5 crore.?
While he was able to put the Koffee with Karan fiasco behind him, in the 2024 IPL season Pandya was in for something that not many could anticipate.
Hostile home crowd in Mumbai?
Pandya, who switched back to the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans, was made the captain of the team, replacing Rohit Sharma, to the shock and disbelief of MI fans. This resulted in the home crowd booing the MI team, and especially Pandya, throughout the IPL season, which was also one of their worst.?
But two months later, Pandya made an even larger crowd at the same venue cheer him for the crucial role he played in Team India lifting the T20 World Cup.
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