Ranchi: Hardik Pandya is known to make waves wherever he goes and whichever side he plays for. Be it his Ranji Trophy unit Baroda or the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians.
Left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra, who scalped two crucial wickets during India’s 69-run win against Sri Lanka in Ranchi Twenty20 on Friday, calls Pandya a West Indian guy from Baroda.
Following India’s series-levelling win in MS Dhoni’s hometown, Pandya revealed why the senior Indian bowler refers him by that name.
Pandya, in an interview to ‘bcci.tv’, said, “I always do everything in style. I like how the Caribbean guys live. I kind of follow it so that’s why I guess.”
.@hardikpandya7 speaks to @ShirinSadikot on his Caribbean attitude and the secret behind his jersey no. 228 #IndvSLhttps://t.co/AK9jkQRYH0
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 13, 2016
When asked about his swagger and does it come naturally to him, the all-rounder said, “With me, always, everything comes naturally. I don’t have to act anything I just be myself. So, whatever comes out, people name it.”
The youngster, who was picked in India's ICC World Twenty20 squad, has garnered a lot of attention in recently after he was picked in the Indian side.
So, has he found a way to handle the newly-found fame. “I kind of like it, you know when I go out. I be myself. I behave what I was before and now. I go out, watch the movies which I love to do.”
The man, who says he is always trendy, added, “People in Baroda are quite nice. They let me enjoy. They click a picture and they go.”
Pandya, who batted ahead of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, scored a quickfire 27 off 12 balls as India put up 196 runs on the board in Ranchi.
The 22-year-old wears a 228-number jersey and there’s a reason behind it. “ I like the number. When I started, I scored some 228 runs against Mumbai in a domestic game. I wanted to have that number and now people love it. In IPL, I had it. I was planning to change it but now I don’t want to change."
