Hailing from Choryasi, Gujarat, Hardik Himanshu Pandya made his debut for India against New Zealand in 2016. The Indian all-rounder came to reckoning after his blistering knock of 21 of 8 balls which helped Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings in 2015.
But life was not easy for Hardik during his teenage days. Hardik and his elder brother Krunal found them in challenging situations as their family struggled financially. With limited resources, Maggi was the only sustenance they both rely on both in morning and evening.
Hardik and the Maggi connection
Both brothers put forth a lot of effort to distinguish themselves in the Indian Premier League and eventually found success. Hardik mentioned how he used to consume a lot of Maggi as a youngster and how, given their circumstances, it played a crucial role in their life.
In an interview, Hardik Pandya said the story about his hardships and how Maggi played a crucial role in their struggling journey: “By the way Maggi folks heard about this and they sent me an entire box of Maggi. I really liked eating noodles (Maggi). Used to eat a lot of it when I was a kid. Back then if I had the option of eating good food obviously I would choose eating good food. But you need to have money to afford good food."
“My father was the only earning person at home. He suffered a heart attack — not one but two and that too within one night. He almost got another attack six months later, but we were glad we reached the hospital in time. The financial problems started at that time ... we had no savings and perhaps we spent more than what we earned,” he said.
“Din bhar ground pe pade rehte tha. Bahar udhari bahut ho gayi thi, jeetna aata woh turant chala jata. 10 rupees chodho, 5 rupees ke bhi vande tha," he added in the interview.
6 high points in Hardik Pandya’s cricketing career
1. Champions Trophy final 2017: He was a lone warrior for India as he went on to score 76 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan.
2. All-round performance Vs England 2018: In the crucial test match against England, Hardik’s allround abilities helped India register a comfortable win in Trent Bridge Nottimgham. He picked up a 5 wicket haul and score half century for his team.
3. 83 vs Australia: In the opening match against Australia in 2017, India suffered a batting collapse after losing 5 wickets 70 runs. Hardik Pandya rose to the occasion with a match winning 83 runs. He was awarded Man of the match.
4. Leading Gujarat Titans to IPL Trophy: In his first appearance as an IPL captain, Hardik Pandya led his team to maiden IPL title in 2022. He was highly praised for his captaincy skills by experts. He scored 487 runs.
5. Maiden test century Vs Sri Lanka: In 2017, Hardik Pandya made his test debut against Sri Lanka. In the 3rd match of the series, Hardik scored 108 runs where he hit 7 sixes.
6. Playing crucial role in Mumbai Indian’s success: His bond and love for Mumbai Indians is unparallel as he always performed for Mumbai Indians when the team required him to deliver.
Hardik got engaged to an Indian-based Serbian dancer and actress Natasa Stankovic on January 1, 2020. They were blessed with their first child Agastya on July 30, 2020.