Hardik Pandya's 1st Public Appearance Post Captaincy Snub, Parting Ways With Natasa Stankovic

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya remained tight-lipped on matters that kept him in limelight in recent times except for fitness in Mumbai on Saturday, his impassive countenance masking his feelings as he tackles myriad challenges both on and off the field. For a player who has been a hot topic of discussion with all that has transpired of late, Pandya sported a pleasant smile and spoke at length on fitness while launching his sports apparel brand.

Two days ago, Pandya and Natasa Stankovic officially announced their separation after four years of marriage, and just before that, he lost out to Suryakumar Yadav in the race to become the captain of the Indian T20 team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

On Saturday though, it was all about fitness for him.

"When our body does not get tired, our mind gets tired. So, so many times in my life, the difference between when I was able to push my limits was always the fact that when my mind gets tired, I will tell my body to just push because you will always have extra effort in your body," Pandya said.

"The difference between, if you do 20 and if I do 20, we are on the same level. But if I push to 25 and if I challenge my mindset, next time I'm going to do 25, next time I'm going to do 30," he added.

Ironically, his chances of becoming the captain diminished owing to concerns around fitness, due to which he has not been able to play all three formats of the game and bowl extensively in the limited overs game, especially in ODIs.

Earlier this month, Pandya rejoiced with the T20 World Cup-winning team in an open bus, soaking in the love that lakhs of fans poured on him during India's victory parade.

But a couple of weeks since the ultimate high, Pandya has become a man who has also