Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya silenced his critics after helping his team beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022 at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. With this victory, the Titans have booked their berth in the mega final on Sunday.
Incidentally, there were question marks over the 28-year-old heading into IPL 2022. He hadn’t been in great form ahead of the T20 league and his fitness was also a major concern. Some pundits also questioned the decision to appoint him as GT captain despite his lack of leadership experience.
Asked what he makes of the constant noise around his fitness, Hardik Pandya stated that news sells with his name and he just laughs off the criticism. Addressing the press at the end of the game, the 28-year-old said:
“Logo ka toh kaam hai kehna. Kya karu sir? Hardik Pandya ke saath thoda news bikta hai. Mujhe koi problem nahi hai. Hasi ke saath nikal deta hoon.” (It’s people’s job to speak. What can I do sir? News sells on Hardik Pandya’s name. I am okay with it. I just laugh it off.)
Hardik Pandya has had arguably the best season so far in the IPL. He has scored 450 runs at a healthy average of over 50. The Gujarat skipper scored an unbeaten 40 off 27 balls in the successful chase of 189 against Rajasthan.
“Lot of people counted Miller out” – Hardik Pandya
Along with Hardik, veteran South African batter David Miller also reignited his career. While others discarded him, the Gujarat management trusted in Miller’s abilities and the results are for everyone to see.
Sharing his thoughts on the South African big-hitter, Hardik Pandya said:
“I am genuinely proud of the way he has lifted his game up. He is such a wonderful guy. I always wanted good things to happen to him. It shows that if you give importance to an individual player, he can flourish and how. A lot of people counted David Miller out, but for us he was always a match-winner from the time we bought him at the auction. We always expected him to do what he did today. For us, it was important to give him that clarity about what we expect from him.”
David Miller by far has had the best IPL season, amassing 449 runs in 15 matches at an average of almost 65.
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