Hardik Pandya had a spectacular homecoming on Monday in this city, as hordes of supporters waved the national flag and sang his name as they welcomed the all-round player, who was crucial to India’s victory in the T20 World Cup in the Americas.
The spectacular spectacle that Pandya’s fans put on for him here was eerily reminiscent of the Indian team’s open-top bus parade from Marine Drive into the storied Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
A PTI video shows the ecstatic cricket player, donning the Team India jersey, waving to and acknowledging the applause from his supporters.
Huge posters littered the whole stretch of the road, representing the appreciation of the fans, while the open-top bus bearing the slogan “Hardik Pandya – Pride of Vadodara” wound its way past them.
One of India’s most impressive players at the World Cup was Pandya, who claimed 11 wickets and amassed 144 runs at a 150 strike rate.
But his best performance came in the title showdown against South Africa where he broke the back of the opposition with excellent figures of 3/20, and his victims were Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, who was superbly caught by Suryakumar Yadav at the boundary ropes, and Kagiso Rabada,
Although Pandya’s performance with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL this season has been modest, the selectors still have faith in his all-around skills and big-match attitude.
After replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain during the IPL, Pandya was jeered everywhere he went, but in the World Cup, he elevated his game to a whole new level and realized the dreams of billions of Indians worldwide.
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