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Throwback To When Hardik Pandya Said Dhoni's Search Is Over; India's All-Rounder Has Arrived

image-lmke1pzkHardik Pandya made his T20I debut in 2016 (x.com)

The Indian cricket team's one of the most essential players, Hardik Pandya, has had his share of struggles in the past. Over the last eight years of playing international cricket, he has come a long way.

Hardik Pandya got fast-tracked into the Indian squad after a successful stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. The all-rounder from Baroda represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL back then and impressed everyone with his performance. In his short IPL career, he has shown his raw power-hitting and seam-bowling prowess. 

Speaking just after his first national team call-up, Pandya gave an interview to SportsTak,"People noticed my game from the CSK match when we needed 30 odd in the last two. I smacked three sixes and Rayadu bhai one." Post that, he played another blinder against Kolkata Knight Riders where he accelerated his innings tactically and ended up on 61* off 31 balls."

When asked if he anticipated getting a call-up, Pandya shared he knew it would come eventually but needed to pay more attention to it. Noteworthy, Hardik was called up for India's T20I squad against Australia for the 2016 series. He then aimed to progress step by step.

When asked about his views on MS Dhoni's comment on not finding a seam bowling all-rounder for Team India, he responded positively, saying he felt he could meet the team's expectations. 

Since making his entry into the Indian lineup, Pandya has been a vital cog for Team India. Heading into an important winter, the maestro all-rounder will be India's X-Factor and the team's vice-captain.