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

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.

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?”

Shoaib Akhtar says of his favorite IPL franchise:

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.

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