Hardik Pandya has been India’s better all-rounder of late. His bowling has been important for India in the middle order as he combines well with the Indian spinners in tandem. Cricket commentators and pundits have been all praises for the young all-rounder. His batting skills have given depth to the Indian batting lineup.
His larger than life attitude is getting him attention not just on the field but also off it. Pandya who is known for his flamboyant fashion sense posted a picture of his new look on Twitter. His is makeover has received mixed reactions from his fans on social media. Coming from a middle-class family, he discussed all the struggles and financial problems on a show named ‘Breakfast with Champions’ with Gaurav Kapur which is available for streaming on Youtube.
He made his IPL debut in 2015 but before that edition of the cash rich league he said that his family was under enormous pressure financially and they hid their car as they were unable to pay then EMI’s. He said:
“I have struggled for three years. We used to save Rs 5 and Rs 10. I still remember in IPL, we got around Rs 70 thousand and we thought we would survive on it for some time. Because we were struggling for almost three years then. We had not paid EMI for two years. We were smart, we used to hide our car. We didn’t want the car to go. Everything we earned in those three years was supposed to be saved for the car rather than having something new for us or buying something. It was just car’s EMI and food that mattered to us at that time.”
Talking about the experience of winning the IPL in his debut season Pandya said:
“God is kind. My first year, we won the IPL and then I got a cheque of Rs 50 lakhs. From there, I got a car for free and I bought a new car as well. Imagine, three months back we were struggling and fighting for money and within three months I have Rs 50-60 lakhs in my pocket. It was all about saving at that time.”