3 instances when Hardik Pandya hit the headlines due to controversies

Hardik Pandya ( Photo source : IPL )

Hardik Pandya debuted for India in 2016 and in these eight years, he has established himself as one of the most illustrious all-rounders in international cricket. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), his evolution has been unprecedented as he has not only proven his all-round talent but also his leadership skills. 

Back in 2022, he became a part of the newly-formed team Gujarat Titans (GT) and guided them to their maiden title victory with his captaincy. In the last 10 years of his competitive cricketing career, Pandya has not only grabbed eyeballs for his stunning cricketing performances but also for some wrong reasons. 

Here are three instances when Hardik Pandya was in the news due to controversies:

3. Hardik abuses Mohammed Shami in the 2022 IPL

In 2022, when GT and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clashed with each other at the DY Patil Stadium, the former recorded their first defeat in the cash-rich league. Chasing 163, the Sunrisers were giving a tough time to GT bowlers following which Pandya was seen frustrated.

In the 13th over of the contest, the SRH skipper Kane Williamson smacked Pandya for two maximums following which the latter looked angry. Things worsened on the last delivery of the over when Mohammed Shami missed a catching opportunity against Rahul Tripathi while fielding at the third man. 

This time, Hardik lost his cool and abused Shami in exasperation. SRH registered a convincing eight-wicket win over GT and following the match, Pandya faced a backlash for his behaviour towards the veteran pacer. Some social media users said Hardik should learn to respect his senior colleagues. 

2. Lewd statement at the Koffee with Karan episode in 2019

Pandya stepped into a controversy in February 2019 with an obscene remark on the famous chat show ‘Koffee with Karan.’ Along with his teammate KL Rahul, Pandya gave lewd comments against women while answering a question from Karan Johar.

While listening to Pandya’s story, Johar asked the all-rounder, “Why don’t you ask women’s names at the nightclubs?” Replying to the question, Pandya said he struggles to remember the names of women whom he meets at parties.

“I like to watch and observe how they move. I am a little from the black side so I need to see how they move,” responded Pandya to Karan’s question. He also strived to show how comfortably he discussed his sex life with his parents.

“When I lost my virginity, I came home and said, “Main karke aaya hai aaj (I did it today). The India stalwart’s statements created a furore among people as several folks demanded stern action against him. Pandya received a show-cause notice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Responding to the notice, he issued an apology and also assured that such kind of incident won’t happen in the future.

1. Trade deal with Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2023

After the 2024 IPL auction, Mumbai Indians (MI) traded Hardik from GT to avail his services in the 2024 season of the cash-rich T20 tournament. There were reports in the media that Hardik had set the condition that he would only return to MI if he was given the captaincy mantle. 

The trade deal between MI and GT happened successfully and MI announced Pandya as their skipper for the 2024 IPL, and Rohit Sharma, who guided MI to five title victories, was removed from the leadership role. The deal didn’t go well with Rohit’s fans as they accused Pandya and MI of insulting the veteran.