Hardik, Krunal Pandya Lived on Maggi for Years, Nita Ambani Reminisces First Meeting

There’s a main reason why the Mumbai Indians have claimed the IPL title 5 times: their scouting is unmatched. For several years, the franchise has invested in players who have gone on to become the pillars of Indian cricket. Look no more than Hardik Pandya & Jasprit Bumrah, who, in under a decade, have cemented their places in the Indian team. Hardik and Bumrah's journeys to prominence – first with MI and later with the Indian team – are top examples of how franchises like Mumbai Indians excel in identifying exclusive talent and nurturing it to greatness. 

Nita Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, recalled meeting Hardik and his brother Krunal Pandya over 10 years ago at a preparatory camp. Hardik debuted for MI in 2015, and for India in the year 2016. Since then, his meteoric rise has been nothing short of astonishing; anyhow, none of this would have been possible without MI's wonderful scouting system. From starting as an all-rounder to becoming MI’s captain, Hardik’s story continues to inspire aspiring cricketers across India.

"In IPL, we all have a fixed budget, so every team can spend x amount of money, so we had to think about new ways of getting talent... So I remember scouting for talent, and I used to go to every Ranji Trophy match, and my scouts and I would go to all these domestic cricket matches. And one day, our scouts took two young, lanky, thin boys to the camp," she told. 

"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."

MI’s story goes beyond just Hardik Pandya. Before him, they had already recognised Bumrah. In the year 2013, a young Bumrah made an impression by rattling AB de Villiers’ stumps for MI against Royal Challengers Bangalore & gave him a memorable send-off. As Bumrah often shares, he never bowled with a season ball while growing up; it was always tennis balls & tape balls. Still, having such limited resources, to see him become the world’s leading fast bowler is a testament to MI’s exceptional eye for raw talent.

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