All-rounder Krunal Pandya penned an emotional note for his younger brother and star cricketer Hardik following his pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Hailing Hardik’s stunning comeback, especially after the social media abuse and the boos the cricketer was subjected to on his return to lead the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL 2024, Krunal hit back at critics, saying people forgot that he is just a “human being with emotions”.

During the IPL 2024 season, Hardik faced consistent boos and jeers at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai upon returning to the Mumbai Indians, his former team from 2015 to 2020. Having captained the Gujarat Titans for two years, Hardik’s comeback to MI was significant, especially with the announcement of him replacing Rohit Sharma as skipper in December.

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Encapsulating his brother’s struggles, Krunal spoke out how the last few days have been emotional for him seeing Hardik at the centre of India’s historic triumph. Hardik bowled the crucial last over of the T20 World Cup final against South Africa and successfully defended 15 runs by dismissing the dangerous David Miller on the first ball, to etch his name in India’s cricketing folklore.

As a result, India managed to win the match by seven runs and clinched their second T20 World Cup trophy ending their 11-year-long ICC Trophy drought. Following their win, Hardik has become a national hero as all the hate which was spewed on the India all-rounder in the past few months has been replaced with loud cheers all around, including the Wankhede.

Describing the last few days as a fairytale, an emotional Krunal opened up on the treatment meted out on his younger brother during the past few months without even considering the fact that he also is a human being with emotions.

“It’s almost been a decade since Hardik and I started playing professional cricket. And the last few days have been like a fairy tale that we’ve dreamt off. Like every countryman I’ve lived this through our team’s heroics and I couldn’t be more emotional with my brother being at the heart of it,” Krunal wrote.

“The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile.

“He has now played his heart out to realise India’s long-standing dream – And nothing has ever meant to him more. From the age of 6 – it’s playing for the country and winning the World Cup that’s been the dream,” Krunal further wrote.

“I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger. For a young boy coming from Baroda, there can be no bigger achievement than helping his team win the World Cup,” Krunal remarked.

“For Hardik, it has always been country first, and it will always be that way. For a young boy coming from Baroda, there can be no bigger achievement than helping his team win the World Cup,” the elder Pandya concluded.