"Just after three games, MSD told me that you will play in World Cup" - Star Indian player recalls his debut for India

Hardik Pandya is one of the top names in Indian cricket now. He is one of the best all-rounders that the country has produced in the game of cricket. But that was not the same case in his early days. But he got the backing of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, which helped him to grow more in his career.

There is no doubt that under the leadership of MSD, a lot of players have made a significant mark at the international level while playing under him. Hardik also made his debut under his leadership. That is one of the reasons that Hardik often credits Dhoni for his growth in international cricket.

In the latest chitchat show, a podcast with SGTV, the all-rounder recalled his memory of his debut in cricket. He also said how MS showed trust in him despite giving away 19 runs in his very first over of his career.

Hardik said that when he joined the team, there were already a few big stars like Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, MS Dhoni, and Ashish Nehra, so it was a big thing to join this team. He also said that when he went for 19–21 runs in his first over on his debut, he thought that that would be his last over.

However, Dhoni backed him up, trusted him, and asked him to remain calm. Hardik added, "I genuinely felt that ok, this might be my last over. But I was very blessed and lucky to play under Mahi bhai who showed a lot of trust in us which has helped us reach where we did." 

The all-rounder further said that after his third game in his career, MS told him that Hardik would be a part of the World Cup team. He added that despite not going to bat in the match, the captain told him such words were like a dream come true. 

Notably, the all-rounder has already represented India in three World Cups. He played in two T20I World Cups in 2016 and 2021 and an ODI World Cup in 2019.