"He didn't sleep entire night," reveals Hardik Pandya's ex-coach over the all-rounder's battle with controversies

Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their very first season itself after defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday (May 29). The former Mumbai Indians all-rounder was handed the responsibility of leading the newly joined franchise.

Hardik Pandya’s childhood coach revealed his conversation with the GT skipper post the “Koffee with Karan” controversy. Hardik’s ex-coach Jitender Sharma revealed how Hardik did not sleep an entire night when he met him upon coming back to India. He also stated that the GT skipper gave him assurance that something like this will never happen and claimed Hardik’s late father would be very proud of him.

“He hadn’t slept the whole night, na?,” the coach asked another person in the room. “Tension nahin lena hai (Don’t take tension). You will get back to playing for India very soon. Jo ho gaya, voh ho gaya (what’s done is done), no use worrying about it. Come tomorrow to Reliance stadium. Now, smile,” Jitender told Indian Express.

“I had booked a badminton court for us to play. Just to get the competitive juices and the joy of sport back in him. I wanted him to sweat out. It freed him, usko ehsaas hua (he realized) that he is a sportsman and this is what he is born to do. Not chat shows,” he added.

“Coach, you will not hear any negative thing about me after this” Jitender recalled Hardik’s words. “He has held that word, his father would have been so proud today,” Jitender concluded.

“He didn’t sleep entire night,” reveals Hardik Pandya’s ex-coach over the all-rounder’s battle with controversies