IPL 2022: "He Has To Demonstrate That He Is A Quality Captain And Player," Shoaib Akhtar On Hardik Pandya

Published - 06 Apr 2022, 07:17 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:06 AM

Shoaib Akhtar, Virat Kohli
Shoaib Akhtar (Image Credit: Twitter)

Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani bowler, says Hardik Pandya has a point to prove as the skipper of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

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In the team’s first two games, the newly designated captain has performed admirably. The Titans have now become the competition’s lone unbeaten team.

Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya. Image: BCCI

Akhtar admitted that he wants to see both the new franchises, the Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans, make it to the tournament’s playoffs.

“Pandya has a lot of things to prove. He has only recently left the Mumbai Indians and must demonstrate that he is a capable captain and player. He’s serious about his work. It is critical that the Gujarat Titans qualify for the playoffs, as this is their inaugural year.”

Shoaib Akhtar Added: “So, why should it be a monopoly if you want to see them and Lucknow go into the top four and cause problems for other franchises?”

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In their brief time together, the two new franchises have played outstanding cricket. Both teams have four points, with Hardik Pandya’s team having the advantage due to a game in hand.

Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans celebrate the win. (Photo: IPL)

Although both teams have performed admirably thus far, Akhtar confessed that he has a “soft spot” for the Titans.

“See, if anything new comes up, like a player or a squad, I get quite excited because I always have a soft spot for them,” Shoaib Akhtar explained. “As a result, it’d be Gujarat Titans for me.”

Last week, the two new teams played each other in the IPL for the first time, with the Titans winning by five wickets.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya Helped Me When I First Joined Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan

Tagged:

Gujarat Titans (GT) Hardik Pandya IPL 2022 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Shoaib Akhtar
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