Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya has revealed he wants to emulate MS Dhoni’s success as a leader in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League.
Pandya will begin his captaincy tenure in the IPL with the new franchise Gujarat Titans as he will lead for the first time against Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya had made his national team debut under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Pandya has learned a lot from the former skipper and shares a great bonhomie with him. MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the best captains to ever lead India and also led Chennai Super Kings to four IPL titles.
Furthermore, Pandya has played under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma for Mumbai Indians, with whom the all-rounder won four IPL titles. Thus, Pandya has the experience of playing under good leaders and he would look to get the best out of his players.
Hardik Pandya said in a video uploaded by Gujarat Titans on YouTube, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, captain Hardik Pandya. The feel is new, but the field is also new. But listen, I am not going to tell you where I came from, you probably know that. I will tell you where I am taking you to. It’s towards that peak called ‘sporting success’.”
Pandya revealed he wants to emulate MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar’s success at the top level.
“That sweet lofty spot, where grit lives with the grind, labor leads to luck. It is a range that my brother (MS Dhoni) has scaled and I have made no attempts to hide that I want to emulate him. It’s a place that my hero (Sachin Tendulkar) has owned and told me stories of how he got there.”
Pandya has had a rollercoaster journey since making his debut. The all-rounder was banned after his controversial comments on a coffee show and also suffered a back injury, which has halted his career in the last year.
“It is a journey which will pit me sometimes against my sibling, my soulmate, and many of my closest friends. And like every flight, this too may have turbulence. But hey, look at me. If I have survived being in a national storm, a ban, a grueling back injury, and more, I know what it takes.”
Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 28th March.
