Watch: Hardik Pandya Shares Motivational Message Ahead Of India vs South Africa T20I Series

Hardik Pandya impressed everyone with his leadership skills as he guided Gujarat Titans to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 title in their debut season in the cash-rich league. The India all-rounder also enjoyed an excellent season with bat, scoring 487 runs in 15 matches. However, his spell of 3/17 in the all-important title decider was a game-defining performance. With India all set to take on South Africa in a five-match T20I series, the all-rounder said that he will look to replicate his IPL exploits on the international stage, saying that the "old Hardik will be back".

"The old Hardik will be back. Now the fans are back, it's time for me to make comeback. A lot of matches are going to be played and I'm looking forward to it. What I did for my franchise, I will also make sure that I can also do the same for my country," Hardik said in a video uploaded on GT's Twitter handle.

"The old Hardik will be back!"

#PapaPandya will be back in Blue, and we are excited! #INDvSA #TeamIndia @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/6KaQBb7860

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) June 3, 2022

Prior to the IPL, Hardik had missed a lot international action owing to a long-term back injury.

While there was speculation that Hardik was dropped from the team due to fitness issues, the all-rounder said that it was his decision to take a break from the game.

"Lot of people don't know that I took off; It was my decision. A lot of misconception is that I was dropped. You get dropped when you are available. Thankful to the BCCI as they allowed me to take long breaks and did not even force me to come back," he added.

The 28-year-old last played for India during the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021.

Topics mentioned in this article

Gujarat Titans India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Hardik Pandya Cricket