Hardik Pandya, according to former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar, didn't take long to adjust to the captaincy in the IPL 2022 edition, after he led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title win, defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the final in Ahmedabad on May 29.
Pandya was named captain of the Gujarat Titans who bought him ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, as he was not retained by Mumbai Indians.
On the other hand, the Titans won the title in their debut IPL season and Manjrekar stated emphatically that by naming Pandya as captain, the Titans took a huge risk that paid off handsomely.
Pandya, according to Manjrekar, possessed a great deal of self-control and did not get carried away in the heat of the moment. Pandya's similarities to former left-handed hitter Vinod Kambli were also noted by the veteran.
“There was no way we were able to make a judgment for sure because we didn’t see him captaining India or at the domestic level, which he doesn’t seem to be interested in. It was another gamble. It’s not because they have gone on to win the title. We saw him being comfortable in the role after five matches in the IPL,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying to ESPNcricinfo.
“Sometimes when the cameras are on, these guys know what demeanor to carry. This guy was genuinely relaxed. Even when he gets all those big wickets, he is able to control himself. During our time, we had a Vinod Kambli, who had a flamboyant nature, but when it came to batting, he was very sensible and measured. The same thing can be said about Hardik,” he added.
Pandya was also named Player of the Match after taking 3/17 and scoring 34 in the chase of the 131-run target.
