Hardik Pandya: From IPL 2024 Struggles to T20 World Cup Victory

Hardik Pandya had a year full of ups and downs in 2024 ipl. He went from being booed during the last IPL season to helping India win the T20 World Cup in Barbados all in just a few months. Now, after also winning the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, the all-rounder Hardik Pandya has finally shared his thoughts on the tough times he faced last year in IPL 2024.

Hardik Pandya had a rough time during the last IPL season after becoming Mumbai Indians' captain in place of Rohit Sharma. Many fans weren’t happy with the Captaincy change, and every time Hardik stepped onto the field, he was met with boos. Even at Wankhede Stadium, Hardik Pandya didn’t get much love from the home crowd. During Mumbai Indians’ first match in Mumbai, fans booed him non-stop, so much so that former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had to ask them to "behave."

It was a tough season for Mumbai Indians, who finished last on the points table. Hardik himself struggled, managing only 216 runs with the bat and 11 wickets with the ball. But just two months later, everything changed. When he returned to Mumbai after India’s T20 World Cup win in Barbados, the same city that once booed him welcomed him with cheers. In the final against South Africa, Hardik bowled the last over, and the rest is history India finally broke their ICC title drought on June 29, 2024.

"It's all about not giving up, no matter how tough things get. For me, it wasn’t about winning—it was just about hanging in there. That year was one of the hardest, and I had to keep going without backing down. I realized that no matter what was happening around me, cricket would always be my best friend and the thing that would help me get through it," Hardik Pandya said during an episode of JioStar's Superstars.

ALSO READ: Shardul Thakur stuns with big speculation on IPL 2025 return

"I just kept going, kept pushing myself. Honestly, I could never have imagined things turning out the way they did. Those six months were a crazy ride—winning the World Cup, coming back home, and feeling the love from everyone again. It was a complete turnaround for me. I always believed that if I stayed patient, worked hard, and remained true to my game, I would get through it. I just didn’t know when. But in the end, things fell into place, and in just two and a half months, everything changed," he said.

"This year, our goal was to add experience. If you look at our squad, you’ll see we wanted a strong, experienced bowling attack. Wankhede is a challenging venue, and playing IPL matches there can be quite intimidating," Hardik said.

The IPL 2024 season will start on March 22 with KKR taking on RCB. Mumbai Indians will play their first match on March 23 against their biggest rivals, Chennai Super Kings, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.