India vice-captain Hardik Pandya played down all the talks surrounding his form with a match-winning knock against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup warm-up fixture. Hardik slammed an unbeaten 40 off just 23 balls to help India post a total of 182/5, striking two fours and four sixes. There has been a lot of talks surrounding Hardik’s form in the lead up to the T20 World Cup as the star all-rounder had a below season in the IPL. His selection became a major talking point when India announced its squad for the T20 World Cup during the league stage of the cash-rich league.

Speaking on his knock against Bangladesh in New York, former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu suggested that Hardik has silenced his critics ahead of India’s opening game of the T20 World Cup.

“There were many question marks over Hardik Pandya and they have been erased. The more you try to put Hardik Pandya down, the more he emerges and shines, just like a diamond shines after being continuously rubbed. Hardik Pandya is a great takeaway,” Sidhu said on Star Sports.

Hardik endured a tought couple of months in the IPL after returning to Mumbai Indians before the start of the season. He replaced Rohit Sharma as captain of the franchise, a decision which wasn’t taken well by the fans.

He was attacked by fans across the IPL venues with constant booing, including by the MI supporters.

Since coming into the Indian team in 2016, Pandya excelled in his all-round roles in all formats, till a back injury in the 2018 Asia Cup and surgery post the 2019 World Cup stopped him from being back at his absolute best, resulting in him playing only as a batter in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where India didn’t even enter the semifinals.

In 92 T2OIs that he has played, Pandya has picked 73 wickets and has scored 1348 runs.

India will lock horns against Ireland in their opening match in New York on Wednesday before playing arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on June 9.