Mumbai Indians (MI) owner Nita Ambani has opened up about spotting and purchasing Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2015 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. During the mega auction in that particular year, MI caught everyone off guard by roping in the then unknown all-rounder in Pandya. While many franchises wondered what was so special about this Baroda player, Ambani revealed the reason for purchasing Pandya for 10,000 US dollars.
A video went viral where the MI owner from an event in Boston shared memories of scouting for talented and upcoming players. Ambani would attend every Ranji Trophy match and keenly keep an eye on players' performances. One fine day, the MI scouts took two lanky boys to the camp. Ambani was talking to them, and the two brothers said they had barely eaten anything apart from Maggi noodles for three years because they had no money.
However, in those two brothers, Ambani saw a huge potential, spirit, and passion. Those two siblings were Hardik and Krunal Pandya. Speaking about the younger Pandya brother, Nita stated:
"In 2015 I bought Hardik Pandya at 10,000 US Dollars in the auction. And today he is the proud captain of Mumbai Indians."
Nita Ambani opens up about a budget before she fixed price for Hardik Pandya
The MI owner also shared details about fixing a budget for getting players during the auction. She also said that rather than focusing on getting big players, MI would find various ways to unearth young talented players instead. Recently, Hardik posted a video on X, mentioning how being with the MI franchise is much more emotional because it feels like he is returning to the place where it all began for him.
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"I am coming back to my family where it all started. Paltan, you supported me the first time and all the memories have a special place in my heart and all the memories have a special place in my heart. I know you will back me once again. We created history as a team and now I am looking forward to creating some wonderful moments with the boys once again. Mere hardik swagat ke liye, thank you."
