Ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Gujarat Titans (GT) spinner R Sai Kishore said that Hardik Pandya is very similar to legendary MS Dhoni when it comes to leadership qualities.
Kishore has watched Dhoni and Pandya from close quarters, having played under both skippers in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT), respectively.
R Sai Kishore told the media during a virtual interaction session: “Hardik and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) are pretty similar in the way they handle things; they both are pretty calm. One thing that I really admire about Hardik is his ability to handle success and failure equally, that is something very unique about him. He is a level-headed guy and that works (for him).”
The 28-year-old further stressed that the defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) will have to replicate their debut season’s performances to retain the title in the upcoming IPL 16.
He added, “The tag of being defending champions is up to us whether to take it or not. We played well last year and that is why we won. I think if we can do that (then) the tag won’t matter much.”
Speaking about the ‘Impact Player’, the left-arm spinner noted: “It is more like the super-sub rule where we can either use a bowler or a batsman. It is basically like playing with 12 people. We have already played with this (rule) in domestic (cricket). The only change is that we can use it till the 20th over, in domestic it was restricted to the 14th over. In 20 overs, it should be a lot easier to handle.”
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu cricketer is aiming for an India call-up through a strong performance for GT in the upcoming IPL 2023, starting on March 31. He said, “Yes, there are a lot of left-arm spinners in India and this (IPL) is a very good opportunity but I would like to be here now in the present and play well for Gujarat. In the last five years, my skill-set has gone up and I want to keep improving. If it happens that I do very well in the IPL, I am going to play for India.”
However, Sai Kishore admitted that he has to work on his batting if he wants to be in contention for India's selection. He revealed: “It is a work in progress. I have done well in domestic cricket also. I know the areas where I am good at and areas where I need to work on. I am trying to put in hours into my batting and fielding.”
The spinner signed off by saying, “In the IPL and higher you go; you want to bat at the top. In Tamil Nadu, I have had the luxury of batting at the top in a few games. The death overs batting needs more work and attention. Finding a pattern or formula to score quick runs is what I am working on.”
(With PTI Inputs)
