Pandya-led Gujarat Titans will take on Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1.
The Titans are due to take on four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023 at Chepauk on Tuesday (May 23).
Ahead of the all-important game, GT skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his admiration towards his CSK counterpart MS Dhoni, saying that one needs to be a "proper devil" to hate the latter.
"I'll always be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan and for so many fans out there and so many cricket lovers. You need to be a proper devil to hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni," said Pandya in a video posted by Gujarat Titans on Twitter.
Under Dhoni’s captaincy, CSK have won the IPL title four times. While the Super Kings endured a rare dismal campaign last year, they bounced back this season and ended the league stage with 17 points from 14 games.
Hardik Pandya admitted that he has learnt a lot from Dhoni, not by picking his brains but simply by watching him in action.
"A lot of people think Mahi is serious and all that. For me, I crack jokes and I don't see him as a Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"Obviously, I've learnt a lot of things from him, a lot of positive things, which I've learnt from him just while watching, not even much talking," the all-rounder said.
For Hardik, Dhoni is like a brother who he could chill around with. "For me, he's just my dear friend, dear brother, who I do pranks, who I chill."