As Hardik Pandya and India shattered many South African hearts, one of their greats, AB de Villiers, tipped his hat to the all-rounder for proving himself on the grand stage of the T20 World Cup. Hardik was visibly emotional as he spoke to the broadcasters, finally opening up about what he had endured over the past few months. De Villiers, who had immense respect for Hardik, made sure to express his support to all those who doubted Pandya.

"What stands out for me are the big moments. A guy like Hardik Pandya who's been through a roller-coaster himself with Mumbai Indians – moving from Gujarat to Mumbai – and all the criticism he coped with, getting the ball from the captain in the final of the T20 World Cup. That was his moment to go like, 'You know what… all Indian fans out there, this is what I am about as a cricket player'," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

"He made everyone proud out there. Even though I did not want him to succeed like that, I look back and have a lot of respect for that. He is a big man for a big moment and that's exactly the way he played. To all you Mumbai Indians fans out there who doubted him, I'm pretty sure he has secured a spot in your hearts for the future."

On Wednesday, Hardik was rewarded for his brilliant all-round performance by being crowned the world's No. 1 T20I all-rounder, becoming the first Indian to achieve the top spot in the ICC T20 men's all-rounder's ranking. He displaced Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga to reach the summit.