Krunal Pandya penned down an emotional note for his brother Hardik Pandya and said that the last six months have been the toughest for the India vice captain.Hardik displayed a poor performance in the last six months. The India all-rounder was out of the ODI World Cup 2023 after he suffered an injury. Even in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the 30-year-old failed to take the Mumbai Indians (MI) to the knockout stage of the tournament. However, Hardik proved his worth in the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
With the bat, Hardik scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 after taking part in 8 matches and 6 innings. Meanwhile, he displayed a stupendous performance with the ball as well. He picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.64 after playing 8 matches in the tournament.
Hardik helped Team India win their second T20 World Cup trophy after beating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados. (Was Virat Kohli Feeling Underconfident During T20 World Cup 2024? Here's What Team India Star Has Revealed)
Krunal took to his official Instagram account and said that the last few days have been a 'fairy tale' for Hardik.
"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 teams heroics and I couldn't be more emotional with my brother being at the heart of it," Krunal wrote on X.
He added that Hardik didn't deserve what he went through, starting from fans booing and other things.
"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 kept working hard and focusing on what he needed to do to get the World Cup since that was his ultimate objective," he added.
"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," he added.
Krunal further added that Hardik's efforts for the national team have never been compromised.
"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," he further added.
"For Hardik, it has always been country first, and it will always be that way. For a young boy coming from Baroda, there can be no bigger achievement than helping his team win the World Cup. Hardik, I am so, so proud of you. I love you so much, and you deserve every bit of happiness and all the good things that are coming your way. I have immense respect for you, my bachhu," Krunal concluded.
Virat Kohli and Axar Patel's attacking partnership took India closer to their dream by propelling them to a competitive total of 176/7. Despite a nervy defence, the Men in Blue managed to defend the total and clinch a 7-run win to lift their second T20 World Cup title.
