'We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had..'
Key Points
- Hardik became an overnight star aft4er he successfully defended only 11 runs in the final over against Bangladesh in the 2016 T20 World Cup.
- Hardik says changing his batting technique proved vital in taking his game to the next level.
- Hardik went public with his relationship with Mahieka on his 32nd birthday on October 11, 2025.
India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya paid tribute to girlfriend Mahieka Sharma for helping him rediscover his love for the game, a shift that saw him putting in the long hours in the net to take his batting to the next level.
'I think the child in me, the cricket geek, who is always there, was focusing more on my skill set as a bowler. I have always had a lot of confidence in my bowling, but batting was something that was very close to my heart. After the last IPL, I realised that I really wanted to play to Hardik’s full potential. I think until now, I haven’t utilised more than 40 per cent of my batting potential, and that is genuinely honest feedback. What I know as a cricketer, what I imagine, what I manifest, and how I practice, have not translated into performance by more than 40 per cent,' Pandya told JioStar.
'I took some time in my life to figure out how to bring that out. That's when Mahieka came into my life. We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had. I went behind the scenes, worked really hard, and had a good amount of batting sessions. There were days when I was on the ground for six to seven hours. When I went to the NCA, I would go at 3:30 in the afternoon and finish at 12:30 at night. I was usually the last person to leave and shut the lights off.'
Hardik became a huge star after he successfully defended only 11 runs in the final over against Bangladesh in the 2016 T20 World Cup match in Bengaluru. A decade later, he features in the squad as a senior player as India aims to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.
'I think all these moments made me the kind of person I am. There were early challenges in my international career where I had to hold my ground and back myself. It was important to have belief. In cricket, even if there is just a one per cent chance, until the last ball of the match is bowled, the game is not over.'
'That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over. He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes. When things turn around like that, they create wonderful memories. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one.'
Hardik revealed how changing his batting technique had made things complicated at the start but the change was necessary to take his game to the next level.
'I remember when I changed my batting technique and my swing, it felt like I had forgotten how to bat. But somewhere down the line, I knew I was heading in the right direction. I think that’s because I was ready for change and ready to take myself to the next level. I could have been very comfortable where I was, but I realised that was not the cricketer I wanted to be. I want to be the cricketer who unleashes himself, sees every opportunity in front of him, and grabs it to the best of his ability. Playing for the country has always been a matter of pride, but expressing that flair was very important to me. When everything finally clicked, I realised that this was what I had been missing. Because of the work I put in, it is now showing.'
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