"Want You Here For Rest Of Your Career": Hardik Pandya's Gesture For MI Star Wins Hearts

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya lauded all-rounder Shardul Thakur after the team's victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL 2026 opening match on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium. Asked to bat first, KKR posted a massive total of 220/4 in 20 overs, with skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi scoring 67 and 51 respectively. However, MI did not allow the KKR bowlers any breathing space during the chase, as Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton smashed their respective half-centuries to guide the hosts to victory by six wickets.

Shardul Thakur emerged as the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai Indians, finishing with impressive figures of 3/39 in his four overs. After the win, Hardik praised Shardul's performance and even assured him a place in the MI squad for the remainder of his IPL career.

Notably, Shardul, a Mumbai-born cricketer, has represented six different IPL franchises before being signed by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2026 season.

"I told him [Shardul] this season, enough hopping of franchises. I want you to be here for the rest of your career. He's a character; he has a big heart. The way he comes out and always tries to outsmart a batter is simply brilliant. Really happy for him," said Hardik during the post-match interaction.

On the other hand, Thakur, who was named Player of the Match for his effort, said he likes to take up challenges, and Sunday presented such a situation.

"I've said this before, I like challenges. This was a challenging situation, especially in the sixth over. Because you expect Boult or Bumrah to get early wickets, but that didn't happen. So it was challenging coming in and bowling that sixth over. Challenges are what have made me. This ground has given me both bitter and sweet memories," said Thakur in the post-match presentation.

He said that playing for the Mumbai Indians is special for him as it allows him to play at his home ground.

"To come and play for MI is special. To come and play on my home ground. I was a net bowler and an upcoming boy in the early years, quietly making my mark. Since then, it was always going to happen, and it's finally happened. So it feels special. I'll be very happy if I stay here [for my career]. It's my home city. The kind of backing I have got here is amazing. To trade me from LSG and play me in my first game," he said.

(With IANS Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Kolkata Knight Riders Mumbai Indians Shardul Thakur Hardik Pandya IPL 2026 Cricket