Beyond the Boundary: Hardik Pandya's Education Qualification, Controversies, And Cricket Career

Hardik Himanshu Pandya is one of the most prominent Indian cricketers, known for his aggressive batting, fast bowling, and exceptional fielding skills. A key player in the Indian cricket team, Pandya has contributed to numerous victories in all 3 forms of cricket. 

However, Pandya has been sidelined from playing recently due to an injury, which has been a setback for both him and the team. During the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup, the all-rounder slipped on his bowling run in India’s group match against Bangladesh and twisted his ankle. Subsequently, he had to miss the remainder of the World Cup.

Wishing #TeamIndia Vice-Captain - Hardik Pandya, a speedy recovery! 🤝

See you back on the field very soon 🤗

Prasidh Krishna will join the squad as a replacement 👏#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue pic.twitter.com/D3SCt6XPB0

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2023

Despite his recent absence, he remains a formidable cricketer, whose career has birthed a new league of cricket fans in the country. Hardik Pandya's rise to fame in cricket has been nothing short of spectacular. With his ability to hit big sixes and take wickets with his medium-pace bowling, he has become one of the indispensable members of the Indian National Cricket team.

From the 'Koffee With Karan' show controversy to all-rounder Hardik Pandya's education qualification, here is a rundown of Hardik Pandya's Biography. 

Hardik Pandya's Biography: Key Highlights

Interestingly, while Pandya’s favorite cricketer is Kumar, actor Tiger Shroff shared in the current Indian cricket team, Hardik Pandya “steals his heart”:

“If we're talking about the current team, then Hardik Pandya steals my heart. He is an unexpected player and an all-rounder. He bats, he bowls, and is physically gifted,” shared Shroff in an interview with Outlook.

About Hardik Pandya

Born to Nalini Pandya and Himanshu Pandya, Hardik grew up in a middle-class family with his elder brother Krunal Pandya, who is also an international cricketer.

Their passion for cricket began at an early age. His father, Himanshu Pandya, who ran a small car finance business in Surat moved his family to Vadodara when Hardik was just five years old to provide his children with better cricket training facilities. He then enrolled them in Kiran More's cricket academy in Vadodara. The Pandya brothers lost their father on 16 January 2021 due to cardiac arrest.

Due to inadequate financial conditions, they lived in a rented apartment in Gorwa and used a second-hand car to travel to the cricket ground.

In one of the interviews, Hardik recalls, “My brother and I have struggled for three years! Even saving INR 5 or 10 was a big deal for us. We used to play local cricket in villages. I used to get INR 300 and Krunal got INR 450. We used to travel by local train without tickets with our kit and come back at the back of the truck.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Hardik Pandya's Education Qualification

Hardik studied at the MK High School until 9th standard, but later he dropped out to focus on cricket and pursue his dreams. As once questioned by a fan, “What should I do - study or play cricket?” He replied, “Choose studies above cricket. Cricket is very dangerous. If you pass your 10th grade you get a job according to your education. Your education stays with you. But in cricket you have to be at the top, only you can make it. And to reach there is not a piece of cake.”

Hardik Pandya's Cricket Debut and IPL

Hardik Pandya had a natural inclination towards cricket from a young age, and he single-handedly won a lot of matches in club cricket. Finally, he made his debut in domestic cricket in Baroda in 2013.

His all-around abilities did not go unnoticed, and he was selected to represent the Baroda cricket team (Under-16). He played a vital role in helping Baroda win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the 2013–14 season. On this he said,

“When we won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we were awarded 70,000 each. At that time, we just focused on paying EMIs of the car and getting some food on the table.”

Hardik Pandya's dynamic batting and useful seam bowling skills quickly caught everyone's attention.

In 2015, Hardik was given an opportunity to play for the Mumbai Indians with a base price of INR 10 Lakh in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he soon became an integral member of the team. He played a vital role in helping the Mumbai Indians clinch the championship title in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Even ex-Mumbai Indian coach Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar praised this 21-year-old Indian batsman for his all-rounder performance. His powerful sixes and medium-pace bowling proved to be a valuable asset for the team, and he was awarded the Man of the Match in the final of the 2019 season.

After playing for Mumbai Indians from 2016 to 2021, he led the Gujrat Titans as the captain from 2022-2023. He became the only captain after Shane Warne to captain a team to the title in its inaugural season in 2022 when he led the Gujrat Titans to their first IPL Championship.

However, for IPL 2024, Pandya returned to the Mumbai Indians as captain in a move dubbed by the media as one of the “biggest heists” in the history of IPL.

Currently, he’s focusing his energy on recovering from his past injuries to play in the IPL 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

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With an aggressive batting style and precise bowling abilities, Hardik Pandya has established himself as a critical player in the limited-overs format. He is indeed one of the best all-rounder players the country has ever got! 

International Debut

Here’s a brief overview of Pandya’s cricketing career since his international debut in 2016:

Test career

Pandya made his test debut against Sri Lanka in July 2017. Pandya made history by becoming the first Indian batsman to score a Test century just before lunch during the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at Pallekele. It was Pandya's first Test century.

Not just that, he also set the record for scoring the most runs in a single over of a Test inning for India, scoring 26 runs. This record was later broken by Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah.

ODI

Hardik Pandya made his One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand in 2016 at Dharamshala, where he scored 36 runs from 32 balls. After Sandeep Patil, Mohit Sharma, and K. L. Rahul, he is the fourth Indian to be honored as player of the match in his ODI debut.

Twenty20I

The right-arm fast-medium bowler was just 22 years old when he made the T20I debut against Australia. He picked up 2 wickets in his T20I debut match in 2016, the first international wicket being of Chris Lynn.

Pandya has secured a spot in the list of top 10 players to score the most T20I runs for India and the list of top 5 players to take the most T20I wickets for India.

Hardik Pandya's Awards, Achievements & Career Stats

Let’s take a quick look at Pandya’s career stats before we dig deeper into his most noteworthy achievements:

Hardik Pandya Career Stats: Batting & Fielding

*Batting average refers to the ratio of runs scored per completed innings.

Hardik Pandya Career Stats: Bowling

*Bowling average refers to the number of runs conceded by a bowler per wicket taken.

Hardik Pandya: Notable Awards & Achievements

• Hardik Pandya was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2019 for his outstanding contribution to the Indian cricket team.
• Another trophy was added to the cabinet of his cricket career in 2021 when he got his name in Forbes India's 30 under 30 list in the entertainment and sports category.
• In 2019, when he played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he was bestowed with the Man of the Match award in the final for his all-around performance of scoring 16 runs off 10 balls and taking two wickets.
• Pandya was also part of the winning team, who took home the ACC Asia Cup in 2016, 2018 and 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hardik Pandya in Controversies

The Indian team player Hardik Pandya has been involved in a number of controversies throughout the years. One of the most prominent Pandya-related controversies was when he, along with fellow cricketer KL Rahul, appeared on the talk show 'Koffee with Karan' at the beginning of 2019. His remarks on the show were considered sexist and disrespectful by the general public and the BCCI and resulted in a temporary suspension.

Additionally, Pandya has also been in the headlines due to his conduct on the pitch. His attitude and conduct toward other players have drawn criticism, and he has even been penalized for his behavior towards other players.

Despite these controversies, his journey from a small-town boy to a cricketing superstar has been an inspiration to many! Read about famous Indian team players like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and more! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Hardik Pandya's batting average in international cricket?

Hardik Pandya's batting average in international cricket is 31.65 in One Day Internationals and 29.96 in Twenty20 Internationals.

2. How many wickets has Hardik Pandya taken in his international career?

Hardik Pandya has taken 17 wickets in Test matches, 55 wickets in One Day Internationals, and 42 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals.

3. What is Hardik Pandya's highest score in international cricket?

Hardik Pandya's highest score in Test matches is 108, in One Day Internationals is 92, and in Twenty20 Internationals is 42.

4. Has Hardik Pandya won any awards for his cricketing performance?

Yes, Hardik Pandya was awarded the Man of the Match in his debut Test match against Sri Lanka in 2017.

5. What is Hardik Pandya's role in the Indian cricket team?

Hardik Pandya is an all-rounder who contributes as a seam bowler and a lower-order batsman in the Indian cricket team.