"We all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions" - Krunal Pandya pays tribute to brother Hardik with heartfelt post

Left-arm spinning all-rounder Krunal Pandya paid tribute to his brother Hardik Pandya with a heartfelt Instagram post after the latter's incredible 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. Hardik was heavily criticized during the 2024 IPL for his poor all-round form and the Mumbai Indians (MI) finishing at the bottom of the table under his captaincy.

The 30-year-old replaced long-time skipper Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2024 and the move was met with scathing reactions, including boos, from MI fans around the country.

Yet, Hardik turned things around and contributed massively to India's title run in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Krunal wrote on his Instagram handle with several photos of Hardik and the two of them together:

"The last six months have been the toughest for Hardik. He simply didn’t deserve what he went through, and as a brother, I felt very, very bad for him. From booing, to people saying all kinds of nasty things, at the end of the day, we all forgot that he is just a human being who also has emotions. He somehow passed through all of this with a smile, though I know how hard it was for him to put on a smile."

He continued:

"He kept working hard and focusing on what he needed to do to get the World Cup since that was his ultimate objective. He has now played his heart out to realise India’s long standing dream - And nothing has ever meant to him more. From the age of 6 - It’s playing for the country and winning the World Cup that’s been the dream."

Hardik finished the tournament with a batting average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.57 in addition to 11 wickets at an average of 17.36 in eight outings.

The champion all-rounder also saved his best for the final, producing figures of 3/20 in three overs to help India seal a thrilling win over South Africa.

"What Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable" - Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya continued his emotional Instagram post and hailed Hardik's accomplishments in a still-young career.

The duo played together for the Mumbai Indians (MI) until 2021 before moving to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively.

"I just want to remind people that what Hardik has done in such a short span in his career is unbelievable. His efforts for the national team have never been compromised. Every time, at every stage of Hardik’s life, people have written him off, and that has only motivated him to come back even stronger," wrote Krunal.

Hardik bowled the final over of the summit clash with the Proteas needing 16 runs to win. He conceded only eight runs and picked up the wickets of David Miller and Kagiso Rabada to clinch India the title.