It's A Surprise For Everyone: Hardik Pandya On Whether He’ll Bowl For Ahmedabad In IPL 2022

Everybody was surprised when the Mumbai Indians (MI) decided not to retain all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, a bigger surprise awaited when it was revealed that the new Ahmedabad-based franchise had picked Hardik before the auction and have named him their captain for the upcoming IPL season.

Talking to Cricbuzz ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction, Hardik Pandya replied that it will be a surprise to everyone, on being asked if he’ll bowl in the IPL 2022 season. Furthermore, he said that “my team knows where I stand”.

The Ahmedabad-based franchise, which is yet to reveal its name and logo, picked Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill as the three players before the IPL 2022 auction. They also named Ashish Nehra as their head coach and India’s 2011 World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten as their mentor.

We Are Starting From Scratch And I Feel We Can Create New Legacies: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya will be captaining a side for the first time at this level, especially in the Indian Premier League, where he had made his debut in 2015 for the Mumbai Indians. He said that he wants his team to script new legacies as the franchise aims to take flight.

“We are starting from scratch and I feel we can create new legacies, we can create new cultures which I want to endorse. It’s going to be a very exciting time,” Pandya said.

“There’s no manual of learning how to become a captain. I’ve always been a person who likes to take responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge. As a captain, I want to ensure all the players have enough time from me. That’s what I’ve learnt and I’ll make sure my doors will always be open for them.

When someone is doing well, they don’t need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that’s when they need you. As a captain, when someone is doing good, I will not bother them. When someone is down, I’ll be always available to them,” he added.

Hardik Pandya will be hoping for a stupendous performance not only from his team but personally as well, as it will pave a way for his return to the Indian team with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Also Read: Mohammed Siraj Reveals The First Thing He Bought After Getting An IPL Deal