Hardik Pandya credits girlfriend Mahieka Sharma for support amid…; says ‘she has been the best…’

Hardik Pandya, an all-rounder, expressed gratitude to his close friends and family, especially his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma, for helping him make a smooth transition back to competitive cricket. At the first round of a five-match series at Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9, India defeated South Africa by 101 runs thanks to an outstanding all-around effort by the vice captain of India.

After sustaining a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates in September, Hardik has been out for almost two months. The Baroda all-rounder needed more time than expected to restore health and missed the last match against Pakistan. Before playing domestic cricket for Baroda in anticipation of his international comeback, he spent a considerable amount of time recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he worked hard to regain full strength.

Hardik–Mahieka bond deepens during…

Hardik made the most of his time off from the game by spending it with Mahieka and his family. Their connection initially came to light during this time. The couple were seen together at the Mumbai airport in October, which sparked rumours. Later, they shared pictures from a beach vacation to confirm their connection. Last month, Hardik shared photos of Mahieka attending a family event while juggling his personal obligations with the demanding rehabilitation at the COE.

Hardik speaks about his injuries and…

“Injuries test you mentally and put a lot of doubt in your mind. A lot of credit for a successful comeback goes to my loved ones. A special mention to my partner — she has been nothing but the best to me since she entered my life. A lot of great things have happened since she arrived,” Hardik, who has been increasingly injury-prone in recent years, told the BCCI after receiving the Player of the Match award in Cuttack.

Hardik slams paps for violating Mahieka’s privacy

Hardik’s heroics occurred only hours after he openly chastised members of the paparazzi for sharing photographs and videos of Mahieka online. He encouraged media outlets to respect personal boundaries, expressing unhappiness with what he saw as a violation of privacy when video of Mahieka exiting a Mumbai restaurant went viral.

“I have been an honest and real person in life, which has helped me a lot. I don’t really sugarcoat a lot of things in life. It’s never been about the other person, about how other people think or how other perceive me. It’s always about how I feel inside,” he said in Cuttack.