The Gujarat Titans made history by winning the IPL Trophy in its maiden season. The team put a prolific show of skills on Sunday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final. Hardik Pandya, the captain, was outstanding on the day, capturing three wickets and scoring 34 runs. Hardik won Player of the Match in the final battle thanks to this effort. Hardik has put in a strong all-around effort this season, and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on the 28-year-old. Here in this article, we talk about what Sunil Gavaskar Praises Hardik Pandya.
Sunil Gavaskar Praises Hardik Pandya, Gavaskar who was a part of the commentary team has analyzed the player’s performance closely and he bestowed his positive comments on the allrounder as he said, “The selection committee would be delighted. The leading group would be delighted with the way he has come through because everyone had seen him batting, but they had not seen him bowl. He has been coming and bowling three overs on the trot, and four overs on the trot which shows he is 100 percent fit. Yes, he has to be managed well, no question. When you have had a back injury as serious as that, when you have had surgery, you have to be managed. He was bowling today in the mid 140s which means he was really letting it rip”
He also talked about how the youngster changed his game in a skillful way and did not just hit shots aimlessly. “Also, the shot selection he showed as a batsman, he was not throwing his bat at everything. The shot selection was absolutely terrific. Yes, in this game, you will get out looking for a six but generally, the captaincy just like it did with Rohit Sharma, the shot selection became better. Rohit Sharma was also like Hardik Pandya, brilliant absolutely. The moment he got the captaincy, he started scoring 70-80-100s as well”, he added.
Hardik has made a comeback to the India squad after more than 6 months. The allrounder was dropped due to a back injury that took a long time to heal. He had been seen practicing well for the IPL to ensure he gets his spot back in the time while many youngsters fought for it. With his display of skills, he has ensured a place for himself for playing XI for sure.
Gavaskar also discussed his playing position against South Africa, he mentioned “think he’ll probably be slotted at five or six. Just imagine, if India has a Hardik Pandya and a Rishabh Pant at five or six. They can probably swap around a little bit — that is going to be some explosive combination from the 14th to the 20th over. In six overs, you can probably expect even maybe 100-120 runs. They are capable of doing that. So, that’s going to be an exciting aspect. That’s something I’m really looking forward to — Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya batting at five or six.”
After the IPL is over, the players’ attention will return to their international responsibilities. When India hosts South Africa for a five-match T20I series commencing June 9, all eyes will be on Hardik Pandya to see how he plays in the Indian colors.
