Hardik Pandya was hooted and jeered unnecessarily by Mumbai Indians fans after he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain for IPL 2024. And now after his heroics in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, which India won by defeating South Africa by 7 runs, AB de Villiers has taken a dig at all MI fans.
As India defended 176 runs in the final, Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen were rampaging at one stage and Proteas just needed 30 runs in 30 balls. However, Arshdeep Singh got rid of De Kock and then Hardik Pandya swung into action and dismissed the dangerous Klaasen for 52 runs.
Hardik Pandya was then tasked by defending 16 runs in the last over and he starred by dismissing David Miller on the very first ball of the over. Hardik managed to successfully defend 16 runs and gave India a 7-run win.
Hardik picked up 3/20 in the final, finishing the tournament as a world champion with 11 wickets and 144 runs.
AB de Villiers lauds Hardik Pandya’s performance in the T20 World Cup final while taking a dig at MI fans
South Africa great AB de Villiers tipped his hat to the all-rounder for showing himself on the big stage of the T20 World Cup. Hardik was extremely distressed as he spoke with the presenters, finally breaking his silence about what he had been through in recent months.
De Villiers, who had a lot of regard for Hardik, made sure he got his point across to everyone who questioned Pandya.
“What stands out for me are the big moments. A guy like Hardik Pandya who’s been through a roller-coaster himself with Mumbai Indians – moving from Gujarat to Mumbai – and all the criticism he coped with, getting the ball from the captain in the final of the T20 World Cup. That was his moment to go like, ‘You know what… all Indian fans out there, this is what I am about as a cricket player’,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
“He made everyone proud out there. Even though I did not want him to succeed like that, I look back and have a lot of respect for that. He is a big man for a big moment and that’s exactly the way he played. To all you Mumbai Indians fans out there who doubted him, I’m pretty sure he has secured a spot in your hearts for the future,” he added.
Hardik was named the world’s No. 1 T20I all-rounder on Wednesday, making him the first Indian to reach the top of the ICC T20 men’s all-rounder rankings.
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