17 February,2026 05:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Hardik Pandya, Mahieka Sharma (Pic: Instagram/hardikpandya93)
Team India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflected on the defining moments of his career. He stated that the T20 World Cup 2016 match against Bangladesh shaped his career.
Back then, Hardik managed to defend 11 runs in the final over, which helped him to gain the spotlight. A decade later, he is a part of the Indian squad as a senior player.
"I think all these moments made me the kind of person I am. There were early challenges in my international career where I had to hold my ground and back myself. It was important to have belief. In cricket, even if there is just a 1% chance, the game is not over until the last ball of the match is bowled. That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over. He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes," he said on JioStar.
"When things turn around like that, they create wonderful memories. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one," added Pandya.
Further speaking, the cricketer feels that he has just displayed 40 per cent of his batting skills by far and is keen on playing to his full potential.
"I think the child in me, the cricket geek, who is always there, was focusing more on my skill set as a bowler. I have always had a lot of confidence in my bowling, but batting was very close to my heart. After the last IPL, I realised that I really wanted to play to Hardik's full potential. I think until now, I haven't utilised more than 40 per cent of my batting potential, and that is genuinely honest feedback. What I know as a cricketer, what I imagine, what I manifest, and how I practice, have not translated into performance by more than 40 per cent," said the 32-year-old cricketer.
He also credited his rumoured girlfriend and Indian model, Mahieka Sharma, for helping him rediscover the excitement for the sport. Pandya then spoke about the days when he used to train for several hours at the NCA.
"I took some time in my life to figure out how to bring that out. That's when Mahieka came into my life. We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had. I went behind the scenes, worked really hard, and had a good amount of batting sessions. There were days when I was on the ground for six to seven hours. When I went to the NCA, I would go at 3:30 in the afternoon and finish at 12:30 at night. I was usually the last person to leave and shut the lights off," he said.
Currently, Pandya is busy representing Team India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. So far in the tournament, the "Men in Blue" have played three matches and have secured wins in as many games. They have also qualified for the "Super 8" stage of the global showpiece. Team India is set to conclude their group stage matches by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
(With ANI Inputs)
