GT vs MI: Captaincy Is Something I Back My Instincts On

Last Update on: April 26th, 2023 at 12:39 am

Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya opened up about captaincy after his side’s win in the 35th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 against Mumbai Indians (MI). He said that he always takes calls on situations and backs his instincts.

Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to another victory in the IPL 2023. The defending champions thumped Mumbai Indians by 55 runs to win their 5th game of the season. They now sit second on the points table with 10 points to their name.

A collective batting effort saw them posting a mammoth total of 207 runs on the board. However, after that, it was the brilliance of their bowlers and terrific leadership from Hardik Pandya that saw them win the game by a big margin of 55 runs.

Pandya rotated his bowlers brilliantly and put pressure on the opposition. What was the talking point was he asked Rashid Khan to bowl four overs on the trot and also used young Noor Ahmed. The duo picked 5 wickets between them whereas Mohit Sharma and Hardik himself picked 2 and 1 wicket respectively and helped their side win.

Hardik Pandya opened up about the idea of bowling Rashid and Noor and said that they wanted to close the game early. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he said:

“That has been my motto, always taken calls on situations. T20 is very funny, a couple of sixes can change your mind. Captaincy is something I back my instincts on. Me and Ashu Pa have a similar mindset, we back our calls and we have similar calls. Today, the idea of bowling Rashid and Noor was simple.

“They like pace with Green and Tim David who are big hitters, and that’s why we wanted to offer them spin and offer them spinners that are difficult to read. Wanted to close the game early because a couple of games haven’t gone in our favour recently.”

Also Read:GT vs MI: “Today Wasn’t Our Day” – Rohit Sharma Points Out Reasons Behind MI’s 55-Run Loss To GT

GT vs MI: “He bats 2 hours in the nets,” Hardik Pandya lauds Abhinav Manohar

Abhinav Manohar was the main reason behind GT posting a big target on the board. MI had the game under their control after they chipped in with a few early wickets. But the batter came out all guns blazing and smashed bowlers all over the park. He ended with the knock of 42 runs in 21 balls and scored 3 fours and 3 sixes in his innings.

Hardik Pandya lauded the young batter for his heroics and said that he bats 2 hours in the nets every day and he has improved a lot. He added:

“(On Abhinav Manohar) I think it is all hard work, he bats 2 hours in the nets everyday it feels like, he’s been our best death overs hitter. We spoke to him last year and there were a few things he had to improve on, and this year he’s come out blazing.”

Gujarat Titans will be next seen in action when they will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next game on Saturday (29th April).

Also Read:GT vs MI: WATCH – Nehal Wadhera Forces Piyush Chawla To Leave The Crease; Gets Senior Player Run Out