A couple of months ago, Hardik Pandya was booed by the Mumbai crowd in the Indian Premier League 2024. The same crowd applauded the all-rounder when he came back as a World Cup winner on Thursday. Chants of Hardik, Hardik reverberated throughout the Wankhede Stadium when Indian skipper Rohit Sharma sang praises on the all-rounder.

Rohit handed the ball to Hardik to bowl the 20th over against South Africa when the opposition needed 16 runs to win in the final. A well-settled David Miller was on strike but Pandya was able to get rid of the left-hander on the first ball with Suryakumar Yadav taking a brilliant catch at the long-off boundary. 

Pandya also dismissed Kagiso Rabada in the last over as India registered a thrilling seven-run win. The all-rounder returned with impressive figures of 3-20 in the three overs he bowled in the all-important final.

Speaking at the team’s felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Rohit said, “Hats off to him to bowl that last over. No matter how many runs you need, there’s always so much pressure to bowl that over. Hats off to him.”

Pandya was seen in tears after the World Cup victory and Rohit Sharma gave him a kiss during his interview.

Speaking moments after seeing through the win for India, a teary-eyed Pandya had said, “It is special for me after my six months, I haven’t spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there’d be a time I could shine. An opportunity like this makes it all the more special.”

“India, you mean the world to me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love.. these are moments that I will never ever forget! Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us, despite the rains! We love you so much! Celebrating with you is why we do what we do! We’re all champions! All 1.4 billion of us! Thank you Mumbai, thank you India,” the all-rounder wrote on social media after receiving all the love.

Pandya is expected to take the captaincy baton in T20Is after Rohit Sharma’s retirement.