Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a strong statement on his return from a two-month injury layoff, smashing a 28-ball 59 and taking a wicket with his very first delivery in the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old, who missed two months due to a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2025, opened up about his mindset while he is out in the middle. He shared that his approach is driven by how he feels internally, emphasising the importance of enjoying every moment on the field. Pandya added that he draws energy from the crowd, which in turn helps him give his best for the team.

“I think I have been a very honest, very real person in life as well, which has helped me a lot. I don’t really sugarcoat a lot of things in my life. It’s never about the other person, it’s never about how others think or how others perceive. It’s always about how I feel inside. Now, it’s time where Hardik Pandya wants to just play the sport, enjoy every second on the ground… and bigger and better will be the motto in my life,” Pandya said in an interview with bcci.tv.

“You should be a rockstar. You come, perform for 10 minutes and the crowd goes berserk, I think that has been the biggest motivation for me.

Life has thrown a lot of lemons at me, I’ve always thought I’ll make a lemonade. Every time I walk in, I feel like the crowd is just waiting… they’ve come for this moment to watch me bat,” he added.

Pandya, who was the chief architect of India’s 101-run win against the Proteas in Cuttack, also opened up about his injury layoff.

“My mindset was really about coming back stronger, bigger, better. Injuries test you mentally and at the same point in time, it kind of puts a lot of doubts… and a lot of credit to the loved ones. I’ve stood strong, I’ve done a lot of things with grace and that has helped me to become even more confident, back myself and really trust my skillset… I really believe in myself as a player.

I’ve always believed that if you don’t believe in yourself, how would others believe you,” said Pandya.