‘He Wanted To Make It Big’: How SRH Youngster Got Inspired by Hardik Pandya’s ‘Maggi’ Story

Young batter Aniket Verma has been one of the standout performers in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) recruit amassed 36 runs off 13 balls in a game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He followed it up with an entertaining knock of 74 runs off 41 deliveries against Delhi Capitals (DC).

Sunrisers Hyderabad had acquired Aniket Verma for his base price of INR 30 lakh at the IPL 2025 auction. Nita Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, had recently recalled the story of how they came across Hardik and Krunal Pandya a decade ago, and that they were surviving only on Maggi noodles for three years.

“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,” she had said.

Aniket Verma’s uncle reveals interesting story

Amit, Aniket’s uncle, came across the story of the Pandya brothers in a newspaper and narrated the incident to Aniket Verma, wo was inspired by it. “Aniket must have been 14 back then. I read it in a newspaper and told him the story while we were on our way to his academy,” Amit was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

ALSO READ:

• Aniket Verma IPL: Where the SRH Star Stands Among The Greatest Six Hitters in Indian Premier League History
• 4 Young IPL 2025 Talents That Scout Claims He Recommended to CSK in Stunning Revelation Ft. RCB Sensation
• Aniket Verma Keeps Up With Goal Set for IPL 2025 As SRH Youngster Smashes Delhi Capitals in Vizag

“That day, I saw the spirit, the passion, and the hunger in him. He wanted to make it big. Once we reached the stadium, he touched my feet and said, ‘I complain about trivial things.’ I laughed, but he was serious,” he added.

Aniket Verma’s stint in local T20 league

The Jhansi-born athlete impressed for Bhopal Leopards in the 2024 Madhya Pradesh Premier League. He scored 23 runs in six innings at a strike-rate of 195 in the tournament.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently in eighth place with two points from three matches. Their solitary win of this season so far came against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 23. The 2016 IPL champions will next take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Thursday (April 3).

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.