After months of criticism and trolling, India vice-captain Hardik Pandya finally found his night of reckoning and glory as he helped India win the T20 World Cup last week in Barbados. Prior to the tournament, Hardik was brutally targetted by fans owing to his poor form in IPL 2024, and also over the fact that he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI). Under Hardik’s leadership, MI finished the season bottom of the points table.

Some fans were also not happy with Hardik’s inclsuion in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. However, Hardik was one of India’s match-winners in the final and was influencial for them throughout the tournament.

His performance in the final saw a huge change in behaviour of fans towards him. In fact, a young girl even apologised to him on live television.

Now, out-of-favour India wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan has recalled what Hardik told him when fans were going after him.

“I had a gut feeling that he (Hardik) was saving it all for the World Cup. I will never forget his words: ‘Ek baar performance aa jaaye fir jo aaj gaali de rahe wahi taaliyaan bajayenge (Once I start performing, those who are abusing me will be clapping for me). This is what he told me when I was also going through a really tough time. He said ‘let people talk, we will do our best and give 100 percent to the game we love’,” Kishan told the Indian Express.

Kishan, who lost his central contract and was seen training with Hardik before the IPL, also revealed how the India vice-captain never complained about the fan’s treatment of him.

“It is difficult to explain in words the past six months he has had, as there were all kinds of things said and written about him. But he never lost his cool. I was with him during most of that time – be it training with him in Vadodara or during the IPL – and I never heard him cribbing ki yaar, aisa kyun ho raha hai mere saath (Mate, why is this happening with me). He was calm about it, took it in a very sporting manner, and just focused on the game,” he explained.

“I remember Hardik bhai saying once during the IPL, ‘Jo haath mai nahi hai uske baare mey kya sochna. Log bol rahe hain, kyu bol rahe, wo sab control nahi kar sakte (Those things which are not in our hands, we can’t control. If I keep on thinking about what people are saying, I will lose it). The same bunch that has criticised me will celebrate me in the future and I just have to take it in a very sporting manner,” Kishan added.