In my days people gossiped too, but it stayed mostly in tea shops and not in a million comment threads under one bikini shot. A cricketer with style has always made people talk, and I happily blasted a few sixes just to hear the crowd roar. Hardik is doing something similar with his personal life, playing a big shot in the middle of a very public over. There is risk, of course, because poor form or one bad choice will bring the same crowd back with stones in their hands. Still, I would rather see him live honestly with a new partner than pretend to be a sad saint for brand safety. If he remembers that the real game is still played between bat and ball, this little love story will not harm his legacy, it may even show younger players that they are human and not machines.