Hardik was subject to consistent boos and jeers at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the IPL 2024 season after he completed a stunning move back to the Mumbai Indians whom he had previously represented from 2015-2020. After spending two years as captain with the Gujarat Titans, Hardik’s return was marked with the announcement of his replacing Rohit Sharma as MI skipper last December.

“It’s almost been a decade since Hardik and I started playing professional cricket. And the last few days have been like a fairy tale that we’ve dreamt off. Like every countryman I’ve lived this through our team’s heroics and I couldn’t be more emotional with my brother being at the heart of it,” wrote Krunal.

An injury had curtailed Hardik’s ODI World Cup campaign in November 2023 and his underwhelming return during the IPL further compounded his woes. Hardik finished with 214 runs and 11 wickets as MI bagged the wooden spoon in the 10-team tournament for only the second time across 17 editions.

While Hardik’s spot was under scrutiny even in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, the 30-year-old proved to be decisive in crucial moments of the tournament for team India, including the final.

Hardik nabbed the game-changing wicket of Heinrich Klaasen before he dismissed David Miller in the final over as he defended 15 runs to eke out a seven-run win over South Africa in Bridgetown. Hardik amassed 144 runs at a 151.57 strike rate in six innings and picked up 11 wickets in the tournament.

India, you mean the world to me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love.. these are moments that I will never ever forget! Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us, despite the rains! We love you so much! Celebrating with you is why we do what we do! We’re… pic.twitter.com/c18lLrPJ1q

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) July 4, 2024

“The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile.

“He has now played his heart out to realise India’s long-standing dream – And nothing has ever meant to him more. From the age of 6 – it’s playing for the country and winning the World Cup that’s been the dream,” Krunal wrote.

‘Country first’

“I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger. For a young boy coming from Baroda, there can be no bigger achievement than helping his team win the World Cup,” Krunal remarked.

While he has not added to his 11 Test appearances since 2018, Hardik remains integeral to India’s limited-overs sides with his all-round capabilities. During the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, Hardik became the third Indian man to feature in 100 T20Is, behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have now announced their retirements from the format.