Hardik Pandya will make his IPL appearance for the first time against the Mumbai Indians. He’s been outstanding for MI throughout the years, and the fact that he’ll be playing his former team tonight is such a factor that supporters will be eagerly waiting for the action episode. Hardik has won several matches for Mumbai throughout the seasons. Here in this article, we have talked about GT vs MI Today IPL Match: Can Hardik Pandya’s Tactics Ravage MI?
Hardik Pandya featured seven seasons with the MI, scoring 1476 runs and taking 42 wickets in the stint. He was an essential component in Rohit Sharma’s conquering wheel.
Mumbai had a difficult challenge in determining which players to retain prior to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. The 5-time champs opted for Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and the ‘Big Man’ Kieron Pollard, but Ishan Kishan, as well as Hardik Pandya, were dropped.
GT vs MI Today IPL Match: Hardik Pandya’s Lean Patch
Despite Ishan being re-signed in the mega-auction for a hefty price of INR 15.25 Crore which is an expensive purchase in the whole IPL 2022 auctions. And, Hardik has been specifically chosen as the Gujarat Titans’ pre-draft choice and handed captaincy. Now, Hardik’s GT leads the standings list, whereas MI is at the bottom of the league statistics and has already been eliminated from contention for the playoffs.
Hardik Pandya has also struggled to survive in the previous year. Pandya hurt his right shoulder when batting versus Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021, and he didn’t come back to the field from there. Despite having lost his form and being overlooked by India in several big games, Hardik faced a lot of criticism for his lean patch. Hardik was finally axed from the team following the T20 World Cup in 2021, despite Team India exploring fruitless different scenarios.
While Hardik leads his side versus Mumbai, the all-rounder will get a chance to prove himself against a team he is well closely associated with. Hardik initially received a debut IPL deal in 2015, owing to the Mumbai Indians.
The Baroda-born player has made great strides in being enhanced from the base price of Rs. 10 lakh toward being signed as the franchise’s skipper by Gujarat Titans for Rs 15 crore.
A tale of two colours – blue and golden – in the words of #PapaPandya 😍
📽 Captain relives his MI memories before the clash of the day #GTvMI@hardikpandya7 #SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe pic.twitter.com/4ZNe7Gh69v
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) May 6, 2022
Hardik Pandya spent many seasons with the MI, however during the time he gleaned the brains of numerous long-serving professionals and preserved strong relationships alongside Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar (mentor), Mahela Jayawardene (Head Coach), Zaheer Khan (Director of Cricket Operations), and Shane Bond (Bowling Coach). He can now employ all of the strategies and utilize them against Mumbai.
Hardik has undoubtedly shifted gears as a cricketer in this campaign, stepping up a level in his quest for perfection. The 28-year-old has not only been a steady middle-order hitter and an economical bowler when he has been given the assignment and ultimately Pandya is also a true leader.
However, Gujarat Titans will attempt to fill the gaps in their top-order and secure a spot in the play-offs by defeating the MI, who has had dismal outings this season.
