Hardik Pandya: ‘Hardik and Krunal ate solely Maggi for 3 years’: Nita Ambani reveals particulars of first assembly with Pandya brothers

Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya (X Photograph)

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians (MI) proprietor Nita Ambani recalled the exceptional journey of Hardik Pandya, from his early struggles to turning into the captain of the five-time IPL champions. Talking about her first encounter with Hardik and his brother Krunal Pandya over a decade in the past, she highlighted how MI’s scouting system recognized and nurtured uncooked expertise.
“Within the IPL, all of us have a set funds, so each crew can spend a set amount of cash. We had to consider new methods of getting expertise. So I keep in mind scouting for expertise, and I used to go to each Ranji Trophy match. My scouts and I might go to home cricket matches, and someday, our scouts took two younger, lanky, skinny boys to the camp,” Nita Ambani stated.
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She recalled a dialog with the Pandya brothers that exposed their monetary hardships earlier than making it large in cricket. “I used to be speaking to them, they usually stated that for 3 years, that they had eaten nothing however Maggi noodles as a result of that they had no cash. However in them, I noticed the spirit, the eagerness, and the starvation to make it large. These two brothers have been Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. In 2015, I purchased Hardik Pandya for 10,000 US {dollars} within the public sale, and at present, he’s the proud captain of Mumbai Indians.”

Hardik made his MI debut in 2015, and the next yr, he earned his India cap. Through the years, he grew to become an integral a part of the Indian cricket crew, identified for his explosive batting, all-round capabilities, and management abilities.
Nita Ambani additionally recalled MI’s discovery of Jasprit Bumrah, who has since develop into one of many world’s premier quick bowlers. “Our scouts discovered a younger cricketer with an odd physique language, they usually stated, ‘watch him bowl.’ We watched him, and he might simply converse to the ball. That was our Bumrah, and the remaining is historical past.”
She additional emphasised MI’s dedication to growing younger expertise, citing the rise of Tilak Varma, who lately broke into the Indian crew. “Lately, we launched Tilak Varma, and now he’s a proud member of Workforce India,” she added.
Hardik Pandya’s journey exemplifies the Mumbai Indians’ ethos of figuring out and backing younger gamers with potential, turning them into world-class cricketers.