Gujarat Titans' Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki has said that the franchise is happy with Hardik Pandya's progress regarding his fitness.
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Gujarat Titans’ Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki has said that the franchise is happy with the progress regarding the fitness of Hardik Pandya. Pandya, however, will lead the new IPL team for the first time against the Lucknow Super Giants, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as well.
The new franchise appointed Hardik Pandya as captain after acquiring his service prior to the mega auction of IPL 2022. While his on-field role is yet to be determined as he continues to recover from an injury that restricted him from bowling a long time as well.
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Solanki, however, feels that Hardik Pandya is aware of the team’s requirements to perform across all departments. In an interview with The Telegraph, the former England international said: “Hardik is working extremely hard in all aspects of his game, from the rehabilitation and recovery point of view. He is conscious that he has to get up to speed with batting, bowling and fielding… He is on his path to recovery and playing a full part but we have to be patient with the demands.”
Solanki further added: “Remember, he is coming back from an injury. Hardik as a batsman is an exceptional addition to any team. But if we take batting, bowling, and fielding together, then he’s a complete package. But having said all that, we have to be conscious of his long-term plans. We are very happy with the way he is progressing.”
The all-rounder last played for India at the T20 World Cup in late 2021. He was then dropped from the home series against New Zealand. He also started his rehabilitation work in Mumbai and will be a part of the ongoing 10-day fitness camp arranged by the BCCI at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru as well.
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However, Hardik Pandya will lead a team for the first time during the upcoming IPL 2022. He has played under illustrious captains like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni over the years. Solanki said that the entire support staff will back him at the 2022 IPL.
Solanki added: “We see in Hardik the qualities that can turn him into a successful and very fine captain. We have spoken a couple of times about his track record as far as winning IPL titles is concerned.”
Solanki concluded: “He has been part of our leadership group and has taken a lot of learnings from other captains like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni. He will use all that learning in developing himself as a captain and will be well backed by the support staff.”
