Took 15 rounds instead of 12…Hardik Pandya revealed the secret of his success, that one extra effort which changed his luck.

New Delhi. Indian cricket's biggest match-winning all-rounder Hardik Pandya has once again proved that success is not achieved overnight but through hard work. During a promotion event of Mumbai Indians, 32-year-old Pandya shared the story of his early days of struggle and the 'extra' effort that transformed him from an ordinary player to a world champion. Hardik Pandya, who is known today for his lethal bowling and stormy batting, made a shocking revelation saying that he was basically only a batsman.

Recalling his early days, Hardik Pandya said, 'I was a very pure batsman in the beginning. I only knew one thing, hard work. If the coach asked me to take 12 rounds of the field, I used to take 15 rounds on my side. This extra effort made me different from others. Hardik believes that it was his hunger that forced an expert eye to choose him. Just a year after making his Ranji Trophy debut for Baroda in 2013, his fortunes took a turn.

Mumbai Indians' connoisseur's eye and Ranji journey
Pandya praised the talent search team of Mumbai Indians. He told that when he was playing Ranji, he had no idea that the world's biggest T20 franchise was keeping an eye on him. Hardik said, 'Mumbai Indians team did not come specifically to see me, but they felt something 'special' in me. This shows how excellent the scouting system of this franchise is. After making his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2015, Hardik did not look back and today he is among the most expensive and influential all-rounders in the world.

Pandya is a two-time world champion
India got the fruits of Hardik Pandya's hard work in the form of two historic ICC titles. He has been the most important member of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the recently concluded 2026 T20 World Cup. His ability to turn matches with both ball and bat in difficult situations has made him the 'backbone' of Team India.

Gave the youth a 'choice of success'
During the event, Hardik gave a strong message to the youth. He honestly admitted that initially he didn't know how to take care of his body or what a diet was, but he did know how to sweat. The world may change here and there, but his faith has always been on his hard work.