Wednesday 9 July 2025
Hardik and Krunal Pandya Survived on Maggi for Three Years’: Nita Ambani
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In front of the camera, we just see the cricketers facing the ground and thegamebut there is a harsh reality and struggles behind every cricketer who has reached here to make it big. Nita Ambani, the owner of the Mumbai Indians team recalls a story of a similar cricketer who has made it from the streets to being the captain of the Mumbai Indians team that has won the IPL Champions five times.
Talking about cricket players likeHardik PandyaandJasprit Bumrahwho have been in the Indian cricket team for about 10 years now, they cannot be ignored because of their sheer talent and hard work. But talent cannot be recognized unless allowed to prove themselves. This right opportunity has been given by the owner of the Mumbai Indians team, Nita Ambani.
Nita Ambani proudly said that the Mumbai Indians team’s search for raw talent led to the discovery of amazing players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. In the case of Hardik Pandya, he made his debut in the team in the year 2015 and got a chance to represent India in the following year. From starting as an all-rounder to becoming captain of MI, Hardik’s rise inspires the next generation of cricketers coming through the ranks.
While talking about Hardik, Nita Ambani said that in IPL they have a fixed budget so that every team can spend some on each player. They have to search for new talent in new ways. The team used to scout in the domestic matches for young talent and while scouting one such day they came across these brothers, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya.
While talking about their meeting she stated “I was talking to them, and they said that for three years, they’ve eaten nothing but Maggi noodles because they’ve had no money. But in them, I saw the spirit, the passion, and the hunger that they wanted to make it big. Those two brothers were Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. In 2015, I bought Hardik Pandya at 10 thousand US dollars in the auction, and today, he’s the proud captain of Mumbai Indians.”
The story for raw talents did not start here. It started even before that in the year 2013 when the team spotted Burmah talking to the ball. It is very rare nowadays that a bowler who did not practice with cricket balls and had only played with tennis and tape balls could become a fast bowler in the future. But this truly happened with Jasprit Burmah who gave a tough fight with Royal challengers Bengaluru in the 2013 match.
Nita Ambani said that when her scout team introduced him to her they said just watch him bowl. Se could see that he could just talk to the ball and the rest is history. She also said that now they have launched Tilak Varma, a new talent who has been added to the Indian team. She proudly called Mumbai Indians, the Nursery of Cricket in India.
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