The flamboyant Indian all-rounder, Hardik Pandya found himself in a bit of tangle after some of the recent reports suggested that two of his watches worth INR 5 crores have been seized by the Mumbai customs department. Going by reports, Hardik didn’t declare them as custom items and didn’t have proper bills for them either. If reports are to be believed, Hardik Pandya’s watches were seized on Sunday, November 14 after he and the other Indian cricketers returned from Dubai following the T20 World Cup 2021.
The customs department had stopped Hardik Pandya when he reached the Mumbai airport. As per another report in ABP, Hardik owns a Patek Philippe Nautilus Platinum 5711, costing a stunning INR 5 crore. The cricketer is often seen wearing the watch and he had it with him during a photoshoot as well.
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Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has dropped a note on Twitter, revealing the details of the entire development. The all-rounder also put forth the actual prices of the watches and said that the speculations on social media shouldn’t be believed.
Hardik Pandya’s note:
“Early on Monday morning, 15th November, on my arrival from Dubai, after picking up my luggage, I voluntarily went to Mumbai airport customs counter to declare the items brought by me and pay the requisite customs duty. Wrong perceptions have been floating around on social media regarding my declaration to customs at Mumbai airport, and I would like to clarify what transpired.
“I had voluntarily declared all the items that I’d lawfully purchased from Dubai and was ready to pay whatever duties that needed to be paid. As a matter of fact, the customs department had asked for all purchase documents which were submitted; however, customs are doing the proper valuation for duty which I’ve already confirmed to pay.
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“The cost of the watch is approximately Rs. 1.5 crore and not Rs. 5 crores as per the rumors floating around on social media. I’m a law-abiding citizen of the country and I respect all government agencies. I’ve received all the cooperation from the Mumbai customs department and I’ve assured my full cooperation to them and will provide them with whatever legitimate documents they need to get this matter cleared. All allegations against me of crossing any legal boundaries are totally unfounded.”
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) November 16, 2021
Hardik Pandya failed to do much for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup 2021. In five matches, he scored only 69 runs at an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of 153.33. There were doubts over Pandya’s fitness as he didn’t bowl enough in the tournament for Virat Kohli and his men. In four overs, Hardik conceded 40 runs and couldn’t pick up a single wicket.
