IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya keeps getting the better of his opposite numbers

Debutants Gujarat Titans are top of the IPL points table with four wins from five matches. The blistering start to the campaign has largely been made possible by their talismanic skipper and India all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Pandya, who has struggled with back injuries in the recent past, has looked his best in the ongoing T20 tournament. He currently sits second in the Orange Cap with 228 runs to his name including two fifties and has also taken four wickets, bowling four valuable overs in most of the matches.

More than the numbers, it has been his proactive and inspiring leadership , that has provided Gujarat the early boost in the cash-rich T20 league. On Thursday, he slammed 87 off 52 and also took a wicket as GT defeated Rajasthan Royals by 37 runs to scale to the top of the points table. Pandya was declared Player of the Match for his contributions and teammate Rashid Khan was full of praise for his new captain. “The way he (Hardik) has led the team, the way he has kept the team environment, inside and outside the field has been amazing so far,” Rashid said at the virtual post-match press conference. He (Hardik) is someone who always takes that brave decision, always has confidence and he is someone who is very clear in mind on what he is going to do. This is an important thing as a captain when your mind is clear, and you take right decisions, the result will take (care) by itself." Another interesting fact about Pandya’s captaincy has been how he has been consistently getting the better of his opposite numbers. In the last three Gujarat matches, Pandya has had a major hand in dismissing the opposition captains. Against Punjab Kings on 8 April, Pandya dismissed PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal early on making a dent in their batting efforts as GT eventually won by six wickets chasing down the target of 190. Gujarat lost their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 11 March, but Pandya still managed to dismiss SRH captain Kane Williamson after the Kiwi scored a fifty. On Thursday, Pandya ran out RR captain Sanju Samson with a spectacular direct-hit from mid-off, laying the foundation of a Gujarat win. With batting, bowling, fielding and leadership, Pandya is proving to be a true all-rounder for Gujarat as the Titans start dreaming of achieving something big in their debut IPL campaign. Read all the  Latest News ****,  Trending News ****,  Cricket News ****,  IPL Live Score ****,  IPL 2022 schedule ****, IPL 2022 Points table and  Entertainment News ****. Follow us on  Facebook****,  Twitter and  Instagram****.