Hardik Pandya 5.0: Intense grind behind beast mode, close interactions with coach, redemption | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: “This was about redemption, making my fifth comeback…”All-rounder Hardik Pandya is known for living life king-size which often dominates the limelight. However, this iconic statement following India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph truly defines the core of his character. A man who has faced numerous challenges and overcome them with sheer willpower, pulling off one comeback after another. Even the strongest of souls would have been mentally shattered after being booed and jeered left, right and centre by home fans in packed stadiums across India. Hardik felt the full force of such mind-numbing fury after replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain in IPL 2024.While many would have lashed out under such negativity, the all-rounder responded with sublime on-field performances, winning over critics. “There was a lot of difficulty, a lot of things had happened,” admitted Hardik while discussing the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, highlighting the personal toll. However, battling it out and emerging stronger is the only choice for mentality warriors like the Team India all-rounder.
Focus on high-intent, going back to the basicsHardik had developed a reputation of being ‘Mr. Reliable’ under pressure for Team India over the years, finishing off crucial games like the Asia Cup 2022 group stage match against Pakistan. However, not content with resting on his laurels, the 32-year-old all-rounder chose to develop extremely high-impact gameplay which could enable him to smash sixes from the first ball. The first signs of such an aggressive approach were visible nearly a year before the T20 World Cup 2026 in IPL 2025 where he recorded a strike rate of 163.50, as compared to 143.05 and 136.76 in the 2024 and 2023 editions of the tournament, respectively.Following the initial success, Hardik further decided to return back to his roots during a 10-day window before the Asia Cup 2025, indulging in intense sessions with his childhood coach Jitendra Singh in Baroda. Not only this, the all-rounder further put in the hard yards at Bangalore’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), with a strong desire to dominate the opposition across departments.“We worked on some technical aspects, developing a framework for high-impact gameplay which was visible in his performances from that point. Training sessions lasted from 5 PM to 12 AM, with 10 out of 10 intensity and absolutely no compromise. Hardik always had the ability to smash the ball but his role changed during the captaincy stint at GT due to the emphasis on batting with responsibility. The switch back to MI transformed his approach yet again,” said Jitendra during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.“When we play the game for a long time, focus sometimes shifts from the basics. We went back to that during this rare window which improved things to a major extent. There was specific focus towards being capable enough to smash the ball right from the first delivery,” he added.Controlling emotions, aggression Hardik’s new approach soon worked wonders during the home T20I series against South Africa, where he finished as the third-highest run-getter with 142 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 186.84. One of his most noteworthy performances came in the series’ final T20I in Ahmedabad where the big-hitter smashed 63(25) at a strike rate of 252.The all-rounder maintained the same intent in a T20I series against New Zealand which followed soon after. However, Hardik’s run tally witnessed a slump, accumulating 69 runs in five matches, resulting in Jitendra encouraging him to control his emotions and aggression while batting.As constant refining in approach wiped away chinks, the Team India cricketer entered T20 World Cup 2026 high on intent and eager to strike big. Hardik smashed 217 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 160.74, recording two quick-fire fifties. The all-rounder’s prowess especially stood out in the must-win match against Zimbabwe, where he smashed an unbeaten 23-ball 50.Hardik further accounted for nine dismissals, stepping up in high-pressure situations. The 32-year-old cricketer shattered the momentum of the English chase in the semifinal, conceding just nine runs in the 19th over with the crucial dismissal of Sam Curran. Jitendra kept chipping in with inputs during the tournament, helping Hardik retain momentum. ‘New Year conversation on winning T20 WC’ “After Barbados, I had said that whichever trophy I play for, I will win. I didn’t say that just to say it, I believe it,” shared the all-rounder following the final in Ahmedabad.Hardik’s mental process behind executing this belief into reality with regard to T20 World Cup 2026, began in Lucknow back in December 2025. “India were set to face South Africa in a T20I on December 17. We had long and detailed discussions at that point about how to excel at cricket as well as other aspects of life. That interaction helped Hardik develop great clarity and enhanced his mindset further,” shared Jitendra.“He agreed to implement a lot of things because of which a new version of Hardik was created. Someone who just wants to win as many ICC trophies as possible. We had extremely close conversations after several years, granting him mental peace and clarity that he is on the right track,” added Hardik’s childhood coach.The 32-year-old cricketer followed up the discussions with phone calls to Jitendra on December 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026. “Hardik said, ‘Coach, I want to win the World Cup’. I responded, ‘Follow the path we discussed and the result will be in your favour’. Hardik was extremely determined,” stated Jitendra.Infused with energy and deep ambition, the all-rounder decided to play two 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) matches despite being rested, to maintain sharpness. One of those fixtures included a game against Vidarbha where he smashed a 92-ball 133, including five sixes in an over. ‘Only winning with Mahieka’ Hardik dedicated the T20 World Cup 2026 triumph to his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma, sharing that winning has been the sole focus following her arrival into his life. Jitendra believes that Hardik’s happiness off-field has played a massive role in his success.“I first met her before the Asia Cup in Baroda. Hardik called me specifically to meet Mahieka and told her, ‘Speak to coach. He knows everything about me’,” shared the all-rounder’s childhood coach. “Then, he asked me, ‘How is she?’. I said, ‘She is very nice, humble, has good knowledge and very stable'” he added.Hardik has expressed a desire to win at least 10 trophies in the next 10 years. The historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph could well mark the beginning to an incredible run.
