Hardik Pandya, who bowled the final over in the T20 World Cup Final against South Africa, was instrumental in Team India's historic victory at Barbados, on June 29.
The Indian allrounder successfully defended 16 runs in the last over of the match, which included the wicket of the last standing batter, David Miller, who was dismissed after a stunning catch at the boundary by Suryakumar Yadav, which all but sealed the team's win in the final.
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After India secured their first ICC trophy after a decade, Hardik got emotional during his post-match interview with former England captain, Nasser Hussain.
"Today was the day where we kind of fulfilled what the whole nation wanted," were Hardik's initial words after his final over at Barbados.
He shared his pain and struggles that he had to endure in times ahead of the T20 World Cup, particularly during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, where he was hurled abuses and booed by the home crowd in Mumbai.
MORE: Hardik Pandya's journey from boos to cheers
"It [The win] is more special for me. How my last 6 months have been. I've been very graceful not speaking a word. Things have been very unfair. But I believed that if I keep working hard, there will be a time where I'll be able to shine and do what I've always done."
"That sums everything up. It's been a dream to win and especially getting this opportunity," he said, being visibly in tears.
What did Hardik Pandya tell PM Narendra Modi?
Following their return to India, after their World Cup triumph in Barbados, the team led by captain Rohit Sharma met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi, where he interacted and reminisced their memories in the historic win at the world stage.
Several players including Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma spoke about their experiences during an interaction with the PM.
WATCH: 2024 T20 World Cup winning Indian team meet and interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
When it was Hardik Pandya's turn, he shared how he overcame the humiliations and boos that he had to endure from his own set of fans ahead of the World Cup.
"I said this during that [post-match World Cup Final] interview because the last six months have been very entertaining to me. There have been ups and downs and even the public booed me at the grounds," Hardik said.
"A lot of things happened, and I always felt that if I give my answer, it would be through my performance in the game, not by my words," he added.
Despite his struggles during the IPL, he said that he always believed that he had to fight his own battles, by proving himself on the cricket field.
In the end, he was able to turn the negativity around after the World Cup final heroics. He was even received with big cheers by the same crowd that booed him a few months earlier.
"I am speechless now, like I was then. I have always believed that I would stay strong, will work hard and fight the battle. The success just shows us that [we won the battle]."
He credited the successful turnaround to his teammates, for their support during his tough times and for backing him with the crucial over.
"I believed and I had big support from everyone in the team including the captain, coach and the support staff. We simply did all the preparation and God gave me an opportunity to bowl in that final over," he said.
After Hardik's inspirational words about how he overcame his struggles, PM Modi who was listening intently, asked the allrounder what he told Suryakumar Yadav after that brilliant catch at the boundary, to dismiss Miller, which brought the game back in India's favor.
PM Modi asked: "That final over is historic now, but what did you tell Surya [Kumar Yadav] after his catch?"
"After Surya completed the catch, our first reaction was to celebrate but then we asked him if he caught the ball perfectly [at the boundary]. He told us that he did, and it was a game-changing catch, which transformed all our tensions [stress] to joy," Hardik replied to the Prime Minister.
Team India ended their 10-year drought of failing to win an ICC trophy, which the PM hoped will also serve as a motivation for the country in the upcoming tournaments.
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