Hardik Pandya considers the CSK skipper his role model.
Ahead of the all-important fixture, the captains of both teams – MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya – caught up and had a heartwarming conversation.
Taking to Twitter, the official handle of IPL shared a video of their interaction, in which Dhoni and Hardik seem to be in a cheerful mood.
“Captain's Corner ???????????? The two skippers catch-up before the big game begins!” the caption of the video read.
Earlier in the day, GT skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his admiration for MS Dhoni, saying that one needs to be a "proper devil" to hate his CSK counterpart.
"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," he said in a video posted by Gujarat Titans on Twitter.
Hardik 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," he added.