'It was 360 turnaround': Hardik Pandya reflects on Wankhede redemption ahead of IPL 2025

Hardik Pandya had a tough time winning over fans during his first season as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI). In fact, he even faced boos from his own supporters, who were unhappy about his rise to captaincy at the cost of long-time leader Rohit Sharma. This friction contributed to MI's disappointing finish at the bottom of the points table, putting Hardik's leadership under a microscope.

But fast forward to March 2025, and Hardik has turned the tide, winning over his critics. His key role in India's triumph at the T20 World Cup last year and the recent Champions Trophy has been undeniable.

At the T20 World Cup celebration, Hardik was met with loud cheers. With the scars from the previous IPL season now behind him, he has opened up about his journey of redemption.

"It's always about when you don't leave the battlefield. For me, it was about surviving, maybe not winning. That year was a year where, for the longest time, I had to hold my ground, not leave the battlefield which was the ground. I realised how everything was panning out, that cricket will be my best friend, and he will get me out of it," said Hardik Pandya during an episode of JioStar's 'Superstars'.

"Yeah, it kept, I kept pushing, kept pushing. And I think when all the hard work and everything came, I don't think I wouldn't be able to write a script, which it turned out to be in my life. That six months of my phase where winning the World Cup and coming back and getting the kind of love we got. I think it was a complete 360 turnaround for me. And I think cricket was something which I knew that if I be persistent, if I be honest with my work, if I be really hardworking, I think I'll be able to come out of this. But when I didn't know, as exactly said, it was written in the script by the God where it turned out to be two and a half months," he added.

Hardik also shared his views on Mumbai Indians' squad this year, providing insight into the team's auction strategy.

"This year, the goal was to get experience. I think you can see from the whole sheet where we wanted experienced bowling attack. Because Wankhede is where you get checked, and it can be quite intimidating playing in IPL in Mumbai, in Wankhede," said Hardik.

"And the wickets are generally high-scoring. So we wanted to focus on people who have a lot of experience at the same point of time, who have the swing, who have the bounce on that track, which we can get the most out of. And I think somehow we have, we have made a very gun team where top to bottom we have been able to fulfill. It's just that we all have to turn up now," he added.

In the upcoming IPL season of 2025, Hardik is determined to lead MI on a successful campaign. With a wealth of experience and a team specifically built to thrive under pressure, he is confident in their ability to achieve great results.

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