"He hadn't slept whole night" - Hardik Pandya's childhood coach reveals backstory surrounding 'Koffee with Karan' controversy

By Tharunngowtham R May 30, 2022, 20:45 IST

Gujarat Titans won the IPL title in their debut season after defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, led by Hardik Pandya. The former Mumbai Indians player has been trusted with leading the newly formed franchise. While few people gave Hardik's team a chance, he believed in his players' ability to perform well even in difficult situations.

Pandya's childhood coach exposed the instances in the aftermath of the 2019 talk show controversy following the spectacular win in the final. Hardik Pandya, along with KL Rahul, got himself into controversy after making some unpleasant remarks on the popular chat show 'Koffee With Karan.' The BCCI suspended him from the ODI series in Australia and sent him back with KL Rahul following the controversy generated by his statements.

Jitender Singh, Pandya’s childhood coach, revealed that the all-rounder was frustrated in the aftermath of his suspension from the Indian team. “He hadn’t slept the whole night, na?” the coach asked another person in the room. He also said not to take any tension and you will get back to play for team India soon. He said he wanted Pandya to realize what he has to do as a sportsman. He doesn't want him on a chat show as a professional sportsman.

Meanwhile, his coach also revealed Pandya’s promise after the 2019 incident. “Coach, you will not hear any negative thing about me after this” Jitender recalled Hardik’s words. He also added that all the family members of Hardik and including me were very proud of him.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya rounded off an outstanding season with a Player of the Match performance in the IPL 2022 final for Gujarat Titans. After scalping RR's premier batting three of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer, the all-rounder shattered their innings. Pandya's contributions with the ball didn't finish there, as the right-hander went on to score 34 runs to help his team win their first title.