Mumbai: While Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are often compared for their flashy style—diamond studs, tattoos, and a shared indifference toward their detractors—they are also alike in how they cherish their roots. Years ago, Virat expressed his gratitude by having his brother, Vikas, deliver a shiny new Honda City to his childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, coinciding with a warm Teacher's Day wish that left the coach emotional. Hardik had a similar moment of generosity in 2016. Right after returning from his debut Australian tour, he visited his mentor, Jitendra Singh, and took him to a car dealership to present him with a brand new vehicle.मुंबईः टैटू, कानों के डायमंड स्टड और आलोचकों के प्रति बेपरवाही कुछ ऐसी चीजें हैं जो विराट कोहली एवं हार्दिक पंड्या के व्यक्तित्व में समान हैं लेकिन इनके अलावा दोनों में एक समानता और है जो उनके बचपन के कोच के साथ उनका जुड़ाव है। कुछ साल पहले विराट के बड़े भाई विकास उनके बचपन के कोच राजकुमार शर्मा के घर गए और उन्हें एक चमचमाती होंडा सिटी कार की चाभी सौंपी। इसके बाद विकास ने अपने छोटे भाई की कोच से बात कराई और विराट ने कोच को शिक्षक दिवस की शुभकामनाएं दीं। विराट से इस तरह का स्नेह पाकर कोच राजकुमार भावविभोर हो गए। इसी तरह 2016 में हार्दिक ऑस्ट्रेलिया के अपने पहले दौरे से लौटने के बाद अपनी अकादमी गए। अकादमी में वह अपने कोच जितेंद्र सिंह से मिले और उन्हें सीधा कार के एक शोरूम ले गए और उन्हें एक नयी कार भेंट की।
Recalling that moment, Jitendra shared, 'Hardik came to see me after his first trip to Australia with the national team. He and his brother Krunal took me to a showroom and surprised me with a car.' Hardik and Krunal, both spirited children, honed their skills at the academy run by former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More. Hardik's father, Himanshu, explained the journey: 'I'm originally from Surat, but I moved my family to Baroda for better cricket infrastructure, primarily for Krunal. While Krunal started training at Kiran More's academy, seven-year-old Hardik would just tag along. Eventually, Kiran Sir invited Hardik to join formally and remarkably didn't charge any coaching fees for my sons.'
Coach Jitendra reminisced about a turning point in Hardik's career during an Under-19 match. With most of the team away on Ranji and Under-23 duty, the squad was short on pacers. At the time, Hardik was a leg-spinner. Jitendra asked him to bowl a few overs with the new ball just to take the shine off it. Unexpectedly, Hardik tore through the opposition, claiming five wickets in a single inning and proving more lethal than the actual fast bowler at the other end. This performance caught the eye of Sanat Kumar, who advised Hardik to switch to fast bowling permanently. That same season, Hardik debuted in T20s for Baroda, performed brilliantly, and his rise to stardom became unstoppable from there.