Hardik Pandya Captained Gujarat Titans Like MS Dhoni - Sanjay Manjrekar After GT’s IPL 2022 Title Win
Updated - 30 May 2022, 07:23 PM
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy for the Gujarat Titans (GT) was compared to that of legendary MS Dhoni by Sanjay Manjrekar after Pandya-led GT won the IPL 2022 tournament by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the final on May 29 in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hardik was not retained by Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2022 auctions but was bought by Gujarat Titans (GT) in a draft along with Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill. GT also surprised many by naming him captain of the tournament without having much experience as a leader.
He reckoned that the GT skipper’s captaincy was quite similar to that of MS Dhoni. Manjrekar reckoned that Pandya looked quite comfortable in the leadership role and suggested that his decision-making was on point throughout the competition.
Under Pandya, GT won 10 matches out of 14 in the IPL 2022 league Stage and was the first team to qualify for the playoffs. They then defeated RR in Qualifier 1 to make way into the finals on their home ground.
His Captaincy Was Similar To MS Dhoni’s- Sanjay Manjrekar On Hardik Pandya
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out how the talismanic all-rounder read the situation well and made these remarks while speaking on ESPNcricinfo.
He said: “Hardik Pandya bowled well. In batting too, he batted in all gears while playing at the crucial No.4 spot. He captained the team like MS Dhoni. R Sai Kishore bowled the 16th and 18th overs in the final. His captaincy was similar to MS Dhoni’s, as he made the decisions according to match situations. He seems to be enjoying the captaincy and looks very relaxed.”
Hardik Pandya also silenced critics questioning his fitness and form as he creamed 487 runs from 15 games, he finished as the highest run-getter for Gujarat in IPL 2022. He also picked his IPL best bowling figures of 3/17 in the final and was named Player of the final.
Also Read: IPL 2022 Final: If India Need A Captain, Wouldn’t Look Past Hardik Pandya – Michael Vaughan
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Gujarat Titans (GT) Hardik Pandya IPL 2022 MS Dhoni Sanjay Manjrekar
