Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya recently shared an interesting insight about his early cricketing inspiration during a lively interaction at the Board of Control for Cricket in India Naman Awards in New Delhi. The star cricketer, who has become one of India’s most influential match-winners across formats, revealed that former Test opener Wasim Jaffer was his cricketing idol while growing up.

Pandya made his international debut in January 2016 during a T20I against the Australia national cricket team and has since established himself as a key member of India’s white-ball setup. During the awards ceremony, he participated in a rapid-fire round hosted by veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle. The session also featured Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

When asked to name his cricketing idol from his childhood days, Hardik Pandya surprised many by picking Jaffer, a player widely respected for his domestic achievements.

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Wasim Jaffer represented India between 2000 and 2008, playing 31 Test matches and two ODIs. During his international career, he scored 1,944 runs in Tests, including five centuries and 11 half-centuries.

Champions take on some quick-fire questions! ⚡

First game? First vehicle? & more ft Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi! 🙌 #NamanAwards pic.twitter.com/pj9KDOma68

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 15, 2026

Although his international numbers were modest, Jaffer’s dominance in Indian domestic cricket remains legendary. The right-handed batter built a remarkable career in the Ranji Trophy while representing the Mumbai cricket team and later the Vidarbha cricket team. To this day, he holds the record for the most runs scored in the history of the Ranji Trophy, making him one of the greatest domestic batters India has produced.

The rapid-fire segment also revealed the cricketing inspirations of the other players present on stage. Sanju Samson named Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar as the player he admired the most while growing up. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma credited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh—who also happens to be his mentor—as his biggest cricketing influence.

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Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi mentioned two iconic names when asked about his idols. He said Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh were the cricketers he admired the most growing up.

Lara, the legendary former captain of the West Indies cricket team, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in the history of the game, having scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs during his illustrious international career.