Hardik Pandya stayed at his home before IPL stardom: Australia hopeful Jerrssis Wadia opens up on his Mumbai, Bollywood roots
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Hardik Pandya stayed at his home before IPL stardom: Australia hopeful Jerrssis Wadia opens up on his Mumbai, Bollywood roots originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Australia's Jerrssis Wadia reveals Hardik Pandya once lived with his family.
- Wadia's Bollywood-actor father and Guinness record-holding grandfather shaped his cricket journey.
- Australia hopeful eyes Big Bash title, Shield cricket, and national selection.
Before Hardik Pandya became an IPL star, he lived under Jerrssis Wadia's roof
An Indian-origin cricketer chasing an Australian cap has revealed an unlikely connection to Indian cricket royalty, with Jerrssis Wadia disclosing that Hardik Pandya once stayed at his family's Mumbai home in the years before he became a household name in the IPL.
The 24-year-old Wadia made waves last season for Adelaide Strikers by smashing his first three deliveries for six against Brisbane Heat in only his second Big Bash appearance. That moment instantly turned him from a relatively unknown quantity into a name Australian cricket fans started paying attention to.
His father Dillzan works as an actor in Bollywood, while his grandfather Neville holds a Guinness World Record as the oldest person to score a century in minor cricket. It was his grandfather, in fact, who first sparked his passion for the sport during his childhood.
The Pandya connection that grew stronger over the years
And growing up around his grandparents also brought Wadia into contact with a young Hardik and Krunal Pandya, and that early relationship blossomed into a lasting bond. Wadia explained that his family had supported the Pandya brothers with their education when they were still children, which laid the foundation for a friendship that grew stronger over the years.
"My family helped out Hardik and Krunal with their education when they were kids, and our relationship kind of went from there," he told Cricket AU. "My dad, Hardik and Krunal all played cricket together and the bond got really strong."
He recalled that when Hardik first broke into the IPL with Mumbai Indians and had nowhere to stay in the city, he ended up living with Wadia's parents for a while. That connection has stayed alive over the years, with Wadia receiving messages of encouragement from both brothers after being picked for the Cricket Australia XI and again following his Big Bash debut.
"When Hardik came onto the scene in the IPL, he stayed with my parents for a bit because he played for Mumbai Indians and he didn't have a place in Mumbai," he said.
"I got a text from Hardik and Krunal after (I was selected in) the CA XI, as well as after my Big Bash debut. It's amazing to have support like that and to have someone who's already dominated at the top level but is still humble enough to talk and guide me whenever he can.
"Not everyone would have the privilege to talk to players who are at that level, especially Indian cricketers. They're like rock stars."
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Sportzpics, BCCI
The cricket world is smaller than it looks
Wadia's story is a nice example of how personal relationships in cricket can quietly shape careers years down the line, long before fame enters the picture. Few would have guessed that a future IPL superstar once needed a place to stay in Mumbai and found it through a family who later ended up watching their own son chase an Australian cap.
Indeed, Wadia is now preparing for his first appearance in Australian representative colours, facing Bangladesh in Darwin from Thursday, and he's aware the coming season will test him differently now that opponents know what to expect from him.
"People will know me now, they will know my skills and look to counter that. It is up to me to find a way to be up for that and come out on top," he said.
"Ultimately, I want to play cricket for Australia. That is the goal, that is why I came here, to play at the highest level."
What makes this story compelling isn't just the celebrity connection but how grounded Wadia's account of it feels. He isn't leaning on the Pandya link as a shortcut; he's built his own path through club cricket, an academy program, and a proper Big Bash debut, all while staying appreciative of the encouragement that came his way.
That kind of humility, paired with a clear, ambitious goal of ultimately playing for Australia, suggests he understands exactly what it will take to sustain his rise now that the element of surprise is gone.
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