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Hardik once told me 'You will hear nothing negative about me': Pandya's ex-coach recalls 'Koffee With Karan' controversy
It was back in 2019 when Hardik found himself in the eye of the storm following 'sexist’ and ‘racist’ comments made on the 'Koffee With Karan' episode.
Hardik Pandya made an impressive return to cricket and capped it off with the elusive Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy as a captain. Before the start of the 2022 season, nothing was none about his captaincy, the least was expected from the Gujarat Titans side and doubters questioned his availability as an all-rounder the tournament. But Hardik stunned them all, ticking all the boxes, as he has throughout his career so far. And while he basks in the glory of his maiden IPL win as a skipper, his childhood coach recalled the toughest period of his career.
It was back in 2019 when Hardik found himself in the eye of the storm following 'sexist’ and ‘racist’ comments made on the 'Koffee With Karan' episode. He was ruled out of the ODI series in Australia and was sent home owing to a suspension by the BCCI.
Speaking to Indian Express, Jitender Singh, his childhood coach recalled a tensed Hardik sitting on the floor in his home the next morning.
"He hadn’t slept the whole night, na?,” the coach asked another person in the room. “Tension nahin lena hai (Don’t take tension). You will get back to playing for India very soon. Jo ho gaya, voh ho gaya (what’s done is done), no use worrying about it. Come tomorrow to Reliance stadium. Now, smile.”
“I had booked a badminton court for us to play. Just to get the competitive juices and the joy of sport back in him. I wanted him to sweat out. It freed himself, usko ehsaas hua (he realised) that he is a sportsman and this is what he is born to do. Not chat shows."
Three years hence, Hardik made a stupendous statement with his all-round brilliance along with superb captaincy that helped Gujarat Titans win the IPL trophy in their debut appearance.
Jitender later recalled what Hardik had once told him after that controversy and admitted that he lived up to those words.
“Coach, you will not hear any negative thing about me after this," Jitender recalled Hardik's words. “He has held that word, his father would have been so proud today."
