Hardik Pandya makes Kranti Gaud's birthday extra special with signed jersey

Kranti Gaud's admiration for Hardik Pandya came full circle in Bengaluru as the India all-rounder gifted her a signed jersey and celebrated her birthday. The young cricketer has long credited Pandya as one of her biggest inspirations.Pandya gifted Kranti a signed India jersey during their meeting. (Photo: Instagram/kranti_gaud_26)India women's cricketer Kranti Gaud shared a special moment with her idol Hardik Pandya after meeting the India all-rounder at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Pandya gifted the young cricketer a signed jersey and also celebrated her birthday during the meeting.Kranti has previously spoken openly about Pandya's influence on her cricketing journey and considers him one of her biggest inspirations. Sharing pictures from their meeting on Instagram, Kranti wrote, "Thank you so much bhaiya.""Hardik Pandya has been my idol. I want to be a cricketer like him," Kranti had said in a video earlier this year. The young cricketer's admiration for Pandya became particularly visible after India's World Cup triumph, when she recreated his trademark victory celebration on the pitch.KRANTI'S SPECIAL PANDYA MOMENTKranti went viral after striking Pandya's famous victory pose moments after India lifted the ICC World Cup trophy. She placed the trophy on the ground before copying the all-rounder's celebration, creating one of the memorable images from India's title celebrations. The moment also highlighted the influence Pandya has had on Kranti, who has looked up to his aggressive and fearless style of cricket since her early days.Her latest meeting with Pandya brought that admiration full circle. The signed jersey gives Kranti a personal memento from the player she has repeatedly credited as an inspiration for her own career.The meeting also came at an important stage in Kranti's development as a young India cricketer. From playing cricket in the lanes of her hometown to making her mark at the international level, her journey has continued to gather attention.- EndsPublished By: Debodinna ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 08:23 IST