NEW DELHI:
Hardik Pandya
, the vice-captain of the Indian team, expressed his belief in his abilities despite facing challenges in the months preceding the
T20 World Cup
. His contributions during the tournament proved crucial to the team's success.
Throughout the event, Pandya showcased his all-round skills, accumulating 144 runs with the bat and claiming 11 wickets with his bowling.
His standout performance came in the final against South Africa, where his figures of three for 20 played a pivotal role in India's nail-biting seven-run victory in
Barbados
.
WISH TEAM INDIA ON WINNING T20 WORLD CUP
"It's very emotional, something was not clicking, but this was something the whole nation wanted,” PTI quoted Pandya as saying to the broadcaster after the match.
“Especially for me, after 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's ire 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
, the ace pacer who claimed an impressive 15 wickets throughout the tournament, attributed his success to maintaining a clear and composed mindset. He emphasised the importance of staying focused and level-headed during the competition.
"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.
Axar Patel
, a versatile player who contributed a crucial 47 runs in the championship match, expressed his desire to make a significant impact for his nation.
“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.
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