India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Thursday opened up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how he managed to deal with the criticism he faced over the last few months in the Indian Premier League (IPL), before bouncing back to help the Men in Blue lift the T20 World Cup for the second time in history. Hardik made the statement when the victorious Indian team met the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi after landing in India on Thursday morning.

Hardik was subject to brutal attack on social media from fans in the lead-up to the 2024 IPL season after Mumbai Indians shockingly named him as the captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. It soon turned into boos and jeers from spectators at each of the venues MI played during the tournament, which subsequently affected his performance as well.

Speaking to PM Modi, Hardik revealed that despite the difficult phase in his career, he did not lose his cool by hitting back at his critics and rather reckoned that his performance would do the talking.

“The last 6 months have been very entertaining for me, there have been a lot of ups and downs and the public booed me. A lot of things happened and I always felt that if I give any answer, it would be through sports... So I believed that I would stay strong, will work hard,” he said.

Moving on from a forgettable IPL season, where MI finished at the bottom of the table for the second time in three seasons, Hardik played a decisive role during the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, especially in crucial moments for Team India, including the final, where he dismissed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen before picking two wickets in the last over to successfully defend 16 runs as India won by seven runs. Overall, he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 in six innings and picked up 11 wickets throughout the tournament.

Hardik's redemption story eventually got a fairytale ending when the same Wankhede crowd began chanting his name when the Indian team were felicitated at the iconic venue on Thursday night. The sight left Hardik startled before he got up from his seat to acknowledge the appreciation from the crowd.