Hardik Pandya claims ex-MI coach Ricky Ponting has made him the player that he is today

Hardik Pandya was a relatively unknown name in Indian domestic cricket before being picked up in the IPL auction by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 10 lakh in 2015. Pandya, who was a recommended by the team's talent scout John Wright, signed up with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and has gone from strength-to-strength since then. After making his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2015, Hardik Pandya has gone on to play 66 matches for the popular IPL franchise.

The explosive allrounder has racked up 1068 runs and 42 wickets in that period while establishing himself as one of the most deadly allrounders in international cricket. In a recent interview, Hardik Pandya revealed that if it wasn't for Australian great Ricky Ponting, he wouldn't be the player he is today.

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Hardik Pandya lauds former MI coach Ricky Ponting for being a 'father figure'

In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Hardik Pandya heaped praise on former Mumbai Indians coach Ricky Ponting. Ponting served as a coach in 2015 and helped Hardik Pandya turn into an overnight sensation while playing in the IPL. While conversing with renowned cricket journalist Harsha Bhogle, Pandya credited Ricky Ponting as someone who looked after him the best and like a 'child', calling the 2-time World Cup-winning captain a 'father figure' in cricket to him.

The hard-hitting allrounder went on to add that Ricky Ponting helped him learn a lot about the game during his early days with Mumbai Indians in 2015. The Baroda-born cricketer added that 'Punter' taught him so many things, the ideal mindset, how to tackle tough situations and about mental strength. As a newcomer in 2015, whenever Pandya used to sit next to hoardings, Ponting used to sit down with him and speak about the game and that is how he started learning quicker. 

Hardik Pandya made headlines earlier this week after he announced that he is expecting his first child with partner Natasa Stankovic in a post on social media. The couple also reportedly tied the knot during the ongoing quarantine and shared pictures of the same on Instagram.

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