Gujarat Titans (GT) lifted their maiden IPL trophy in their debut season, with their skipper Hardik Pandya putting in a brilliant performance in the final, scoring 34 runs and scalping 3 wickets for 17 runs against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 29 in Ahmedabad.
Pandya earned praises from fans and experts alike, for his leadership skills and cool temperament on the field. Many were surprised when the GT franchise trusted Hardik Pandya with the captaincy, given that he didn't have an experience of captaincy on any side.
However, the star all-rounder from Baroda shut his critics up with not only his performance as a player but also with his leadership skills.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag heaped rich praises on Hardik, saying that his personality is not something that matters when he manages to deliver good performances on the field.
Opening up about the same, Sehwag told Cricbuzz, "The personality off the field does not matter, it is absolutely irrelevant. Because it makes no impact on the field. Hardik Pandya has stood apart across all three departments this season. People love Pandya because of the things he does on the field, not off the field."
Sehwag went on to say that Gujarat’s coaching staff was relatively inexperienced, other than the likes of Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra. The explosive opener further spoke about the pressure GT will be having after winning the IPL crown at their very first attempt.
"It is not like GT had a star-studded coaching staff. Apart from Gary Kirsten, they were relatively inexperienced. But, they played their role really well. They have supported the players really well and given them what they want.
In the next tournament, GT will come with the pressure of being champions. That's because everyone will hold expectations from them now. Now we will see how they perform under pressure," he further added.
(Star Sports inputs)
