'I was facing a lot of difficulties personally': Hardik Pandya opens up on tough phase

NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya reflected on his journey from battling personal struggles to lifting back-to-back T20 World Cup trophies for India. The star all-rounder said winning the 2026 title in Ahmedabad was a validation of a promise he made to himself — to play every tournament with the aim of winning trophies for India.


Pandya had earlier spoken about seeking redemption during the 2024 T20 World Cup, when he staged a strong comeback and helped India end a 17-year wait for the title.



"When we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, I was facing a lot of difficulties personally. Many things had happened before that tournament, and things were not going my way. Before the 2024 World Cup started, I had made up my mind that I was going for redemption. I wanted to make a dominating comeback. I did that and helped my team win the trophy after 17 years. Coming to this T20 World Cup victory in Ahmedabad, this is something I have always lived for. I play cricket to do well for my country and win trophies. I want to win all the trophies for India," Hardik Pandya said on JioStar.

"After the win in Barbados, I promised myself that whichever tournament I play, I will play to win, and I will lift the trophy. This win against New Zealand in Ahmedabad is a validation that the promise I made to myself has become a reality. And this is just the start," he added.

India defeated the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand national cricket team by a massive 96-run margin to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. With the victory, India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win it back-to-back after triumphing in the 2024 edition, and the first team to lift the trophy three times — in 2007, 2024 and 2026.

Pandya enjoyed an impressive campaign in the 2026 tournament. The 32-year-old scored 217 runs in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and a strike rate of 160.74, including two half-centuries. He also contributed with the ball, picking up nine wickets in nine matches, with best figures of 2/16.