Hardik Pandya, vice-captain of India, expressed confidence in his ability to shine following a difficult few months building up to the T20 World Cup, where he was crucial to the team’s championship victory.
In the highlight match, Pandya amassed 144 runs and claimed 11 wickets, including a three-for-20 in the decisive match, to lead India to an exhilarating seven-run victory over South Africa.
“It’s very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted,” Pandya told the broadcaster after the match.
“Especially for me, after my six months, I haven’t spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there’d be a time I could shine.
“An opportunity like this makes it all the more special,” said Pandya, who was on the receiving end of the crowd during the last IPL after replacing Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians’ captain.
“We always believed, stayed calm, let the pressure come to them. Last over, I knew I had to execute my plans. I have been in this situation, I enjoy the pressure situation,” he added.
Jasprit Bumrah, an elite bowler with 15 wickets, claimed that his ability to be composed and clear-headed during the competition was beneficial.
“I tried to keep calm. We play the sport for this, I am really over the moon, my son is here, family is here, we’ve been working really hard towards this, no better feeling than that,” he said.
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All-rounder Axar Patel, who made a vital 47 in the final, said he wanted to do something for the country.
“It means everything for me. When I came to this World Cup, the last few years I’ve been getting injured, not getting that performance. I wanted to do something for India. Feeling proud,” he said.
“I tried to keep it simple. Just thought of it as another match. That worked for me. When I went to bat, I didn’t think of what’ll happen if I get out,” he said.
Talking about the combination of captain Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid, Patel said, “Rohit is amazing. He led India very well in this tournament. Rahul bhai asked us to enjoy, not take pressure.”
“I thought I was going down the order. When we lost three wickets, Rahul bhai suddenly asked me to pad up. Didn’t have time to think about batting and it helped me,” Patel described his innings.
