Hardik Pandya has done an excellent job of leading Gujarat Titans to the final in their first season in the Indian Premier League 2022. GT dominated the league stage and finished atop the points table and then beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 to be the first team to make the IPL 2022 final. They will now take on RR again after they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2.
The Gujarat Titans’ team director, Vikram Solanki, heaped praise on their skipper and said he has “a poise that is typical of winners.” Gujarat Titans will square off in the finals of IPL 2022 against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening
Hardik Pandya Gujarat Titans’ Skipper Is Praised By Team Director Vikram Solanki
Hardik Pandya has scored 453 runs in IPL 2022 averaging 45.3 with 3 fifties and taken 5 scalps averaging 41 playing 14 games. As a first-time skipper, he has been spot on with his tactics and field placements. Gujarat Titans had chosen Hardik Pandya (Rs 15 crore), Rashid Khan (Rs 15 crore), and Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore) as their draft picks ahead of IPL 2022 mega auctions.
“For me, it was very apparent that right from the outset, from when we spoke to him about the captaincy, he was enthused by it,” Vikram Solanki said on Hardik Pandya, who was one of their pre-auction picks.
“He is somebody that’s clearly a passionate cricketer, he plays cricket in a sort of entertaining way that is contagious in its style itself because he’s confident, he is prepared to take the fight on.
“But, to some extent, that point about encouraging people to not be afraid of making mistakes, not doubt themselves if something hasn’t gone right, he’s certainly been giving of his time in that sense, he’s been giving of his experience in that sense. And he’s got a lot of experience to share,” the former England cricketer said.
He is Gujarat Titans’ leading run-getter this season. Hardik Pandya made his debut for MI in 2015 and played for them for 7 years. In that period, the franchise won 4 titles and Hardik Pandya played a big part in those wins. He was an instrumental part of MI’s success in the past. He scored 1476 runs and picked up 42 wickets for them.
Vikram Solanki Thinks Hardik Pandya Has A Poise Typical Of Winners
Gujarat Titans team director Vikram Solanki has said his side’s winning culture is built on “three pillars” — working hard, playing smart cricket, and accepting that players are going to make mistakes –, and they have been the key to the Hardik Pandya-led side reaching the IPL 2022 final in the first year itself.
He also added that Hardik Pandya’s cricket is more about passion and entertainment, which made him the automatic choice to lead the Gujarat Titans.
“To me, he has a poise that is typical of winners. He’s somebody that has clearly been through a great deal in his life, both as a cricketer and as a person. And he uses those experiences to sort of lead the way he does,” Solanki said.
“I’m so pleased because he was very adamant that he wanted to do a really good job. He’s a thoroughly good human being. And that that has sort of stood him in good stead as well,” he said.
Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday as they look to make history in their first year in the tournament. Hardik Pandya will look to cap off a dream comeback season with an IPL trophy when he leads Gujarat Titans out at the Narendra Modi Stadium against Rajasthan Royals in the big final on Sunday, May 29.