Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB all qualified for the playoffs in the IPL 2022. While there were a number of standout performances this season, numerous 'leaders' also received attention.

In Qualifier 1, GT will face RRR in Kolkata's Eden Gardens on May 24. The Royals, on the other hand, appear to have lost some steam heading into the playoffs. Whoever fails to qualify for the final in Qualifier 1 will have another chance in Qualifier 2, while the winner will go straight into the IPL 2022 finals.

While all eyes were on KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant as next-gen captaincy candidates, Hardik Pandya, impressed one and all by the way he captained GT in the league phase and made them the first team to qualify for the playoffs

Former India opener Virender Sehwag had no problem in picking Hardik as his choice for the 'most impressive' captain of the IPL 2022 thus far.

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Despite having little to no prior captaincy experience, Hardik excelled in motivating his team, which had appeared vulnerable on paper.

"One captain who has impressed me the most is Hardik Pandya. I did not expect Hardik Pandya to do such a wonderful captaincy. The way he used to bat, I thought he will be similarly aggressive with his captaincy too. He did not do that. He was cool and calm," Sehwag said in an interview with Cricbuzz.

"I am not saying this because his team won so many matches or because Ashish Nehra is my friend. When do you like someone's captaincy? It happens when, during crucial moments, you take crucial decisions, especially while your team is bowling. The changes that you do in bowling or fielding which yield results. During pressure situations, he has been calm and that's why I have liked his captaincy," he added.