Hardik Pandya has given the credit to the Mumbai Indians (MI) for his success as the captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Follow Us
All-rounder Hardik Pandya has given the credit to the Mumbai Indians (MI) for his success as the captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Notably, Pandya has played for Mumbai Indians for seven seasons after making his debut way back in 2015. But after a poor campaign in 2021, the five-time IPL champions released him ahead of the mega auction. However, the Titans picked him up prior to the mega auction of IPL 2022 and appointed him as the captain as well.
On the other hand, Gujarat Titans became the first team to qualify for the 2022 IPL playoffs. On Sunday, May 15, they also sealed a place in the top two after beating four-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), by seven wickets as well.
Read More: IPL 2022: Shoaib Akhtar believes MS Dhoni can turn Chennai Super Kings head coach next season
“You don’t get extra points for finishing early, so it is important to win,” Hardik Pandya was quoted as saying after the match. “(On his captaincy), I did alright because having played in the previous franchise where a lot of responsibility was given to the players. I have always enjoyed responsibility where it kind of gives me ownership of things where I can control. And I feel where I have batted throughout my career has given me a lot of idea about how the game is going, which kind of bowler will be important in certain situations. Playing for a different franchise and doing what I have done in the past has helped me in my captaincy.”
Read More: Tristan Stubbs: MI debutant records second-best strike rate after AB de Villiers
Hardik Pandya also applauded Gujarat Titans’ head coach Ashish Nehra for his contribution in the success of the team. However, Gujarat Titans will play their last league game against Faf du Plessis’ Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Thursday, May 19 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After that, they will play in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata as well. “Ashu pa (Ashish Nehra) and I have very similar mindsets. We connect without saying much. We’ll see if any player requires rest, otherwise we need to keep the momentum. The core group needs to be intact. If fast bowlers need rest, we’ll rotate otherwise it’ll stay the same,” Hardik Pandya concluded.
