Hardik Pandya has risen through the ranks in Indian cricket at an unprecedented pace. In a short span of time, the all-rounder has been able to establish himself as one of the mainstays in the squad.

Initially, the Baroda lad was seen as a see-ball-hit-ball cricketer but with time he developed the ability to win matches and even earned comparison with great Kapil Dev.

However, the rise into one of the fan favourite wasn’t easy, even though his persona makes it hard to believe but Pandya comes from a humble background. The cricketer has revealed his family had financial difficulties and even dropped out of school during his ninth grade.

"A school that claimed to have a great interest in cricket asked me to join it to improve its cricket team. It is a big school and we couldn't afford it, but the school said they will take care of my fees and all. They said they will ensure I pass the exams and I just needed to keep performing for the Under-16 school team. And we lost in the first round of the school's tournament. All of a sudden they changed their stand. They started demanding fees,"

"It was a premium school and we just couldn't afford the fees. They said they cannot promote me from Standard IX, so we waited for a year. And the next year, it was the same story, so I quit the school.

In the end, the decision turned out perfectly fine as he is one of the top cricketers in the country and will continue to grow.