"Got Up At 5 AM To Train": India Star On Sacrifices He Made For Comeback

Hardik Pandya sat on the sidelines after the T20 World Cup played in the UAE last year and the all-rounder made his much-anticipated return in IPL 2022 where he led Gujarat Titans to ultimate glory in their debut season. The 28-year-old had scored 487 runs in the cash-rich league and he also took eight wickets with the ball in hand. Midway during the tournament, Hardik was named in India's squad for the ongoing five-match series against South Africa.

The swashbuckling batter opened up on the sacrifices he made to make a comeback and also talked about how leading Gujarat Titans to an IPL title was very satisfying.

"Emotional-wise I was pretty alright. Obviously, I was happy but for me, it was more about the battle which I won against my own self and kind of other things as well. Obviously, winning IPL, more than anything for us to qualify was a big deal for me because a lot of people doubted us, a lot of people counted us out even before we started. A lot of people raised questions and having said that, a lot of things were said for me before I made a comeback. For me, it was never about giving them answers but I was just proud of the process that I followed," Pandya told Star Sports.

"You know, I have gotten up at 5 am in the morning to make sure I train and then make sure that the second time I train at 4 and give myself enough rest. I slept almost those four months at 9:30 in the night. A lot of sacrifices were made but for me, it was the battle which I fought before playing the IPL. After seeing the result, it was more satisfying for me, as a cricketer," he added.

When asked about his comeback to the national side, Pandya said: "Obviously very excited. Playing for the country has always been special and having after