'Hardik has to take a lot of…': Gavaskar lauds GT skipper
Talking about Hardik Pandya's camaraderie with Dhoni, Sunil Gavaskar issued a noteworthy statement about the GT captain.
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The 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw the metamorphosis of all-rounder Hardik Pandya into a T20 captain who won the championship. Pandya, who made his captaincy début in the previous season with the Gujarat-based franchise, not only led GT to championship glory in their inaugural IPL season, but he also became an integral part of India's leadership group. One year later, India's vice-captain for white-ball cricket, Pandya, is on the verge of replicating the historic achievements of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
The Gujarat Titans can become the third team in IPL history to capture consecutive titles. The Chennai Super Kings, led by the legendary captain MS Dhoni, are vying for a record-tying fifth title this season and stand in Hardik's way. Pandya has learned many cricketing nuances from CSK captain Dhoni over the years. Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar made a noteworthy remark about Pandya's leadership and his friendship with Dhoni prior to the IPL 2023 final between Gujarat and Chennai Super Kings.
"Like all those who have followed MSD's career, he (Hardik) has been very outspoken about his admiration and devotion for MSD. When they go to the toss, they will be extremely cordial and beaming. But when the match begins, the atmosphere will be entirely different. It's a great chance for Hardik Pandya to demonstrate how fast he has learned," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Former India captain Dhoni will compete in his eleventh IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. GT captain Pandya has competed in five IPL finals during his illustrious tenure. Intriguingly, Pandya has never lost an IPL championship match. With 325 runs scored in 16 games, Pandya is GT's second-leading run scorer this season.
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"When he became captain for the first time the previous year, nobody knew what to anticipate, as he has been one of the most exciting and enthusiastic cricketers. However, we have observed this excitable aspect over the past year. His contribution to the team's tranquility is reminiscent of MSD. This is a joyful crew, which is precisely what we observe with CSK. "Hardik deserves a great deal of credit for that," Gavaskar remarked.
