Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya named the players he wants to emulate while leading his side in the ongoing IPL 2022.
Pandya-led Gujarat Titans kick-started their campaign with a 5-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants. The Ahmedabad-based franchise displayed an all-round performance as almost every player chipped in and played a part in their side’s win on Monday (28th March).
Bowling first, after winning the toss, Mohammad Shami gave GT a dream start as he removed KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock, and Manish Pandey inside the power play that left LSG tumbling at 29/4. A decent bowling performance helped the Pandya-led side restrict the opposition to 158/6.
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Chasing the target, GT lost two quick wickets but Matthew Wade (30) and skipper Hardik (33) stitched a 57-run partnership to steady the innings. A finish by Rahul Tewatia (40*) and David Miller (30) ensured that they win the match with 5 wickets in hand.
Speaking in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya talked about his role as a skipper and said that he wants to emulate MS Dhoni.
“Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking, captain Hardik Pandya. I am not going to tell you where I came from, you probably know that. I will tell you where I am taking you off to, it is towards that peak called sporting success.
“That sweet lofty spot where grit lives with grind, labour leads to luck. It is a range that my brother (MS Dhoni) has scaled and I have made no attempts to hide that I want to emulate him," Hardik Pandya said.
Hardik said that his hero Sachin Tendulkar has told him stories about his journey and like him his journey too will have turbulence.
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“It is a place that my hero (Sachin Tendulkar) has owned and told me stories how he got there. It is a journey which will sometimes pit me against my sibling, my soulmate and many of my closest friends. And like every flight, this journey might also have turbulence," he said.
Pandya referred to his 2019 talk show controversy, calling it a "national storm", and his back injury to say that he "knows what it takes" to survive difficulties. Pandya said he's aware of the chilling effect he has on his opponents and is now building the entire team around that philosophy.
“If I have a survived a national storm, a ban and grueling back injury and more, I know what it takes. Confidence, flamboyance, whatever you term it, I just know when I walk in with bat in my hand, my opponents get tiny little chills in their spine knowing that I can pull off a heist from anywhere. And here's the best part, I am shaping a whole team to be like that. Will we falter? Of course, but we will go back and toil harder," he said.
Gujarat Titans will face Delhi Capitals in their next IPL 2022 match. The game will be played on Saturday (2nd April) in Pune.
