I will try to pick these three qualities from them – Hardik Pandya on leadership lessons from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma

India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be seen in a new avatar as he will lead the Ahmedabad franchise in the upcoming season of IPL 2022. During his India and IPL career, Pandya has had the pleasure of playing under the tutelage of successful captains like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.

Pandya made his ODI debut under the leadership of MS Dhoni but has played most of his international cricket under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. Furthermore, Pandya has played under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma in the IPL and won four titles with the franchise.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni is known for his calm and composed captaincy while Kohli is a leader who meets fire with fire and is always aggressive. Rohit Sharma has proven his mettle in the IPL and he is known to back his bowlers.

“From Virat, I will pick his aggression and passion, his energy which is tremendous. From Mahi bhai it’s the composure, calmness, remaining same in every situation, trying to see what new things he can add,” Hardik said on Tuesday during an interaction facilitated by the Ahmedabad franchise.

“…and from Rohit, I would pick the freedom as he lets the player decide what he wants to do. These three qualities if I can pick up, it will be a very good combination,” he further added.

Meanwhile, Pandya added that one doesn’t need to be a captain to be a leader. The all-rounder added that he will look to get the best out of his players and give them the freedom to share their thoughts and ideas.

“There’s no manual of learning how to become a captain,” he added. “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 learned 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.”

Along with Hardik Pandya, Ahmedabad has roped in Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan before the IPL 2022 mega auction, which will take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.