India’s ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya feels a positive mindset has helped him return to the ground “stronger, bigger and better” after injury setbacks led to self-doubt.
Pandya’s return from a nearly two-month layoff due to a left quadriceps injury propelled India to a massive 101-run win against South Africa in the opening T20I here on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old all-rounder blazed to an unbeaten 28-ball 59 and 1-16 with the ball. “My mindset was really about coming back stronger, bigger, better. Injuries test you mentally and at the same point in time, it kind of puts a lot of doubts… and a lot of credit to the loved ones,” said Pandya in a video posted on bcci.tv.
“I’ve stood strong, I’ve done a lot of things with grace and that has helped me to become even more confident, back myself and really trust my skillset… I really believe in myself as a player. I’ve always believed that if you don’t believe in yourself, how would others believe you,” Pandya added.
Pandya says he derives a energy from the crowd, which helps him live up to the expectations. “You should be a rockstar. You come, perform for 10 minutes and the crowd goes berserk, that has been the biggest motivation for me.”
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